雅式網上雜誌 - ATA 紡織及成衣(亞洲版) 2011年12月刊

DEC 2011 / JAN 2012 CONTENTS VOL.22 NO.6 ■ ISSN 1015-8138 Frontline 18 Review on China’s entry into WTO a decade later China’s textile and apparel industry has seen impressive development since its accession to the WTO, and this has impacted on its neighboring manufacturing sectors in Asia Market Focus 24 They, too, need good hosiery Market analysts are now of a consensus that the €15 billion hosiery industry is missing a real opportunity by not targeting two niche markets - older women and plus-size consumers Material Technology 26 Colors of nature The biomimetic structural coloration technology will revolutionize the development of textile dyeing and printing industry Textile Technology Feature 33 Post - ITMA 2011 evaluations ITMA 2011 organizer, exhibitors and visitors have reviewed the results that they obtained at ITMA 2011 Nonwovens / Technical Textiles 44 Automotive fabrics evolve toward recycling and resources saving Environmental Watch 40 Multifaceted effort to curb pollution Chemical & Auxiliaries 42 Ecotechnologies: Future for coating and lamination Special Edition: Weaving Machinery 30 Weaving the way towards energy conservation The latest developments in weaving machines lie in energy conservation, high productivity, high performance, flexibility, consistent fabric quality and versatility in terms of applications 31 Some weaving machinery suppliers and their products 46 Wujin textile industry consolidates joint development with professional markets 66 Integrated facilities raise supply chain efficiency China Report 48 New materials and testing technology: Foundation for hi-tech development Retail Scene 52 2012-13 autumn / winter trends of colors 54 Denim trend forecast 2012-13 Corporate Profile 64 “Carefully aggressive” approach to expand global presence French chemicals supplier Protex International has been continuously strengthening its international presence by establishing subsidiaries or through acquisitions in Europe, the US, Asia and South America Other columns 6 Editor’s Note 8 Industry News 58 Show Watcher 68 Company Bulletin 70 New Products Guide 73 Readers’ Comments 75 Coming Events Calendar 76 Advertiser’s Index Cover Advertisement Enquiry code: 101 TESTEX AG with headquarters in Zurich is a privately-organized, global and independent Swiss testing and certification enterprise, focusing the textile sector since 1846. TESTEX has a subsidiary in Hong Kong and its own representative offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Melbourne and Dublin. TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. 1102B, Mirror Tower 61 Mody Road, TST East Kowloon, Hong Kong Register now! AdsaleATA.com/members Free subscriptionof “Weekly eNewsletter” and members’ benefits AdsaleATA.com/eBook eBook of all issues are available With over 100 reporters & contributors’ support

DEC 2011 / JAN 2012 Editor’s Note It has been a decade since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). Throughout the 10 years, the Chinese textile and apparel industry has strengthened its status as a manufacturing powerhouse, while serving an expanding domestic market. This edition of ATA reviews the development of the Chinese textile industry in WTO and the impact on its neighboring manufacturing sectors in Asia. During the past two months after the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) was held in Barcelona, the exhibitors, visitors, textile professionals and organizer of the show have shared with us the results they obtained. Also at a seminar held recently in Hong Kong, some textile industry professionals have reviewed the forthcoming trends and significant innovations they observed at ITMA 2011. A special report gives details on these latest activities. Weavers have been facing soaring raw material prices and labor costs. Recognising their needs, weaving machinery suppliers have introduced new technologies as options for solutions. Key benefits of weaving machines include energy conservation, high productivity, high performance, flexibility, consistent fabric quality and versatility. “Textile Technology Feature” presents some products that appeal to today’s weavers. Moreover, “Market Focus” column looks at the hosiery market. As people live longer nowadays, retailers are serving more and more consumers of an older age group. Some market analysts believe that the hosiery industry should not overlook these consumers. Another potentially lucrative segment is the more than 100 million plus-size women worldwide. This market is said to be growing at an average rate of 2% per year in the US, and makes up an average of 23% of total consumer base in Europe. ATA JOURNAL for Asia on Textile & Apparel is published by Adsale Publishing Limited (a member of the Adsale Group) Address: 6th Floor, 321 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2811 8897 Fax: (852) 2516 5119 Email: cta.ata@adsale.com.hk Web-site (Adsale Group): www.adsale.com.hk Adsale Textile Website: www.AdsaleATA.com General Manager: Annie Chu Senior Executive Editor: Naomi Lee Editor: Kelvin Yau China Editor: Joany Hao AdsaleATA.com Senior Editor: Wong Hok Tak Editorial Emails cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk cta.ata@sz.adsale.com.hk Contributors Adrian Wilson (Europe) Ajay Sinha (South Asia) Asep Setiaharja (S E Asia) Baari Inggi (S E Asia) Gail Taylor (Hong Kong) Ian Holme (Europe) Lucia Carpio (Europe) Manik Mehta (US & Europe) Ngo Tuan (Vietnam) Sanjay Gupta (India) Seshadri Ramkumar (US) Sunil Kumar Puri (India) Marketing and Advertising Janet Tong email: ata@adsale.com.hk Advertising Sales Offices See page 76 Production Sonia Lai Circulation Circulation Department Publication Frequency 6 times in 2011 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 © 2011 All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for statements or opinions expressed herein nor do such statements necessarily express the views of the publisher unless stated as such. Printing Elite Printing (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. Address: Room 1401-8 14/F Hong Man Ind Centre, 2 Hong Man St, Chai Wan, HK

Industry News Southeast Asia China China imposes anti-dumping duty on caprolactam imports from EU and US China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced that the country will impose an anti-dumping tax on imports of caprolactam, a synthetic polymer widely used in textiles, from the EU and the US for five years beginning on October 22. As reported, the MOC announcement came after the ministry concluded a six-month investigation, which found that domestic industries had incurred “material injury”. The MOC statement was quoted as saying that DSM Fibre Intermediates BV and six other European companies will be subject to an anti-dumping tax between 2.3% and 4.9%, while other EU companies will be subject to an anti-dumping tax of 25.5%. On the other hand, US caprolactam exporters DSM Chemicals North America, Inc, Honeywell Resins & Chemicals LLC and the BASF Corporation are reported to face an anti-dumping tax of 2.2%, 3.6% and 2.5%, respectively, while all other US companies will be levied a uniform anti-dumping tax of 24.2%. Vietnam Korean investor builds US$40-million spinning plant Korea’s leading yarn and fabric manufacturer Kyungbang Limited has broken ground its spinning plant in Bau Bang industrial zone, Ben Cat district, Southern province of Binh Duong under its subsidy named Kyungbang Vietnam limited. The plant involves investment of US$40 million on the area of 160,000m2 with yearly production capacity of 6,000 tons. In the first phase, all products will be exported to major markets including the US, Europe, Japan and Korea. The plant is planned to come into operation in early 2013 and recruit around 700 local workers. In the second phase, the plant will be expanded to supply products for the local market. In the first 10 months of this year, textile and garment exports of the Binh Duong province reached US$1.2 billion, up by14% year on year, accounting for 10.25% of total exports turnover of Vietnamese textile and garment industry. Vietnam’s textile and garment exports hit US$11.7 billion in first 10 months During the first 10 months of this year, Vietnam’s textile and garment exports reached US$11.7 billion, up by 29.4% year on year, according to the latest statistics of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade. However, the country’s textile and garment exports began to drop in September, when Vietnam’s exports stood at US$1.4 billion, a decrease of US$200 million compared with August. Further drop was recorded in October, down to US$1.2 billion. According to Le Tien Truong, Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), local manufacturers and exporters have been facing various challenges, and one of them is lacking orders because of heightened competition from India and Indonesia. During the 10-month period, the US, the EU and Japan remained three biggest export markets of Vietnam’s textile and garment sector. Investigation of anti-dumping by Brazil Brazilian government announced that it began to investigate price dumping of viscose fiber imported from Vietnam and Turkey, according to Vietnam Competition Authority of Ministry of Industry and Trade. The investigation was initiated by some local textile manufacturers, including Vicunha Têxtil S/A, Jofegê Fiação e Tecelagem Ltda and Fiação Alpina Ltda. And it focuses on the import data during the period from April 2010 to March 2011. The current import tax imposed on Vietnam-originated viscose fiber is 18%, but if the anti-dumping is imposed, it will go up to 54.4%, the authority warned. Vinatex continues acquisition Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) is in negotiation to buy a textile company located in central Vietnam. The company has been facing the crisis of bankruptcy. By acquiring the company, the Vinatex could keep the company’s business going and expand its textile production network without opening a new one, says Vinatex. Because of the global economic downturn, many textile and garment manufacturers faced perfunctory operation even bankruptcy. For Vinatex, buying such companies is a strategy in developing its new production subsidies, added the spokesperson. Earlier, the Vinatex has bought two garment factories, one of them Korean-owned, for around US$1 million. Vietnam’s garment industry likely to face slowdown The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) recently warned that the country’s garment industry’s development is likely to decelerate although the industry’s exports grew by almost 30% in the first three quarters of the year. The slowdown was attributed to the economic downturn in the US and Europe, with orders received from the two markets for the coming months having gone down by 10% already. In the first nine months of the year, Vietnam’s garment industry recorded export revenues of US$10.3 billion, up by 28%. The industry’s export revenues for the whole year are expected to reach the target of US$13.5 billion, an increase of 10% from the previous year. As reported, jacket is the most affected item, with many firms seeing orders plunge by 30%. Exports to Europe are forecast to decline by 10-15%. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News As a result, the country’s apparel exporters have been switching to other markets like Japan, South Korea and Canada. South Asia India Pakistan grants India MFN status The Pakistani government has come to acknowledge the economic compulsions with the lifting of barriers to imports from India, and MFN status to promote inter-trade.Thus imports from India would enjoy the same terms as those from other trade partners. Granting of MFN status has the potential to raise bilateral trade from US$2.6 billion to US$6-8 billion in a few years and reduce costs as many goods are routed via third countries such as Dubai to disguise the origin. Without restrictions, several goods can be delivered by road. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said the move to grant MFN status to India will herald a “paradigm shift” in bilateral relations. Top industry chambers are already talking of the next step: Allowing bilateral investments and eventually creating an integrated South Asian market that will also include Colombo and Dhaka. Garment exporters in Pakistan have strongly supported the move saying it would help them get a foothold in the fast-growing Indian market. An agency report said that Pakistan may also import electricity from India to help ease severe shortages that disrupt power supply for 10 hours a day, causing widespread resentment. Pakistan’s government faced resistance from opposition and militant groups, which wanted the two countries to resolve the Kashmir issue before boosting trade. But business groups and top officials pressed for the move that is expected to improve relations which had hit a low after the Mumbai attacks. Agency reports said some ministers had voiced concerns but the decision was taken unanimously after discussing several issues. The Indian government welcomed the decision. “Just now Pakistani Commerce Minister MakhdoomFaheem has spoken to me and confirmed that the Pakistan cabinet has decided to grant MFN status to India. We deeply appreciate this positive gesture which underscores with clarity the wish of both countries to bring about a paradigm shift in mutual relations,” Anand Sharma said in a statement. With the new arrangement, Pakistan will allow imports of all items except a small negative list, replacing the current trade regime where Islamabad allows imports of just 1,933 items contained in its “positive list” with India. Pakistan allows import of more than 6,000 products from other countries. Pakistani media has quoted Pakistan’s Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Shehzad Salim as supporting the move. “Granting MFN to India is an economic issue by virtue of which we can gain a foothold into one of the fastest growing markets in the world.” Pakistan Pakistan’s textile exports up by 10% during July to September Pakistan’s textile exports registered an increase of over 10% during the first quarter (July-September) of the ongoing financial year 2011-2012 year on year, despite destruction of cotton crop in Sindh due to the heavy rains and floods. According to the statistics of Federal Bureau of Statistics, the country exported textile commodities worth US$3.191 billion in July-September period of the current financial year against US$2.892 billion of July-September period of the previous financial year 2010-2011. The textile’s exports went up by 10.34% in one-year period. According to statistics of FBS, the product-wise details showed that raw cotton exports increased by 668 per cent in the first three months of the current financial year, cotton yarn exports decreased by 1.47%, cotton cloth exports went up by 12.05%, cotton carded exports declined by 97.75%, yarn exports went up by 117.46%, knitwear 6.47%, bed wear 3.18%, towels 6.42%, tents 228.01%, readymade garments 15.30%, art silk and synthetic textile 18.63%, made up articles 8.97% and other textile materials exports increased by 29.29% in July-September period of FY2011-12 against the same period of FY2010-11 period, FBS data showed. Pakistan signs accord of cotton trade with Turkey An agreement has been signed for Pakistan to export cotton to Turkey. As reported, Turkish Prime Minister TayyibUrdgan urged to settle the trade agreement with Pakistani government after trade break-up with Israel. In the first step, feasibility and capacity of Pakistan to export their cotton would be checked and from upcoming year, cotton would be exported to Turkey. Owner of Pakistan-based companies Dada Private Sons and Star Cotton Private, AtifSaeed Dada told the newspaper that Pakistan itself is a rich consumer of cotton but it is preferable for Turkey to import surplus cotton over other neighboring states. With this agreement, in the upcoming months the price of cotton would hike and farmers would earn sound benefits, Federal Minister for Professional and Technical Training, RiazPirzada said, adding that after China, Pakistan’s trade with Turkey would open new avenues for traders and it would help the country to stabilize its economy. Bangladesh US survey on child labor’s presence in Bangladeshi apparel sector The US labor Department has employed an international organization to carry out a survey on the presence of child labor in the apparel sector of Bangladesh, officials said. However, a Ministry of Commerce (MoC) official denied the presence of child labor in Bangladesh’s apparel industry. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News Sources said the Bureau of International Labor Affairs of US Department of Labor has recently appointed an international survey institution, ICF Marco, to carry out a survey on the Bangladesh’s apparel industry to determine the presence of child and forced laborers working there. The ICF Marco has engaged the RTM International, a Bangladeshi organization, to carry out the survey. The RTM International will survey whether any child worker or forced laborer exists in any stages of Bangladesh’s apparel production. The MoC recently sought opinion from the stakeholders whether to allow the RTM International to carry out the survey or not. “Bangladesh doesn’t allow employment of any child or forced laborer in the apparel industry. The workers here are adult,” a senior MoC official told. Following insistence on the part of the US and other European importers, Bangladesh eliminated child labor from the apparel sector several years back. Bangladesh and the US are in talks over signing of Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum (TECF) pact, aiming to boost trade between the two countries and the labor standard remains an important issue in the negotiations. Washington has recently conveyed its position that the US may not sign the deal if Bangladesh sticks to the demand for exclusion of labor rights issue from the draft of the agreement. Talking to the FE, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) said there is no child or forced labor in his sector. “The government survey as well as the monitoring of the International Labor Organization (ILO) couldn’t find the presence of any child labor in the apparel sector,” he claimed. BGMEA Vice-President SiddiqurRahman said his organization regularly monitors the labor situation in the apparel industry. “Our monitoring team couldn’t find any child or forced labor in the sector,” he said. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Salim Osman told the FE that Bangladesh apparel industry is totally free from child and forced labor. Gloomy situation of RMG sector The clothing sector grew by 21.2% during the first quarter of the current fiscal while non-RMG sectors, jute and leather included, grew by 27.6%, according to statistics of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). Knit sub-sector grew by 18.3% and that of woven by 24.8% in the first quarter. On the other hand, exports of raw jute grew by 18.7% and that of leather by 20 per cent. The exports of other non-RMG goods also registered a double-digit growth. Garment manufacturers said exports fall in the major markets is the main reason behind the gloomy situation of the RMG. Anwar AlamChowdhuryParvez, Managing Director of Evince Group, said that the RMG exports had fallen nearly 1% during the first quarter in the country’s second largest apparel market, the US. “RMG export particularly in September was very bad in the US,” he added. “We’re getting poor orders from many countries belonging to the EU economic bloc as well,” Mr Anwar, also a former chief of BGMEA, said. Selim Osman, BKMEA President, said Bangladesh’s knit export has been falling due to the rising prices of yarn. “Prices of our finished products have increased due to rise of yarn prices, which lead to fall in demands in the overseas market,” he added. Mr Anwar said imposition of countervailing duty by Turkey is also an important reason behind comparatively poor performance by the RMG sector. Turkey, the fourth largest export destination of Bangladesh, has imposed 17% countervailing duty on imports from the LDCs (least developed countries). Industry people of non-RMG sector said many buyers now are opting for cheaper items following debt crisis in the 27-member European bloc. They also said demand for environment-friendly goods is also on the rise across the globe. Kamran Uddin, President of Bangladesh Jute Goods Association, said the demand for jute and jute goods has risen in recent years following increasing awareness about the usage of environment-friendly goods. Saiful Islam, Managing Director of a leading leather goods exporting company, said Bangladesh’s products still remained competitive in the global market. He, however, said the demand for leather goods has now declined following economic crisis in the EU. “The orders from Germany and France are good but from other countries of the EU remained comparatively slow,” Mr Saiful added. World The US US signs trading agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that on October 21, the US President Barack Obama signed legislation implementing three trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. At the same time, he signed legislation renewing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that aims to help the country’s workers who have been hurt by increased global competition. The president also signed legislation to renew trade preference programs that sustain the US’s commitment to trade and economic development that claims to lift up some of the world’s poorest people. In the statement, Ambassador Ron Kirk said that the move is good news for Americans. He said that these agreements will increase US exports and American jobs. He explained that Korea agreement will support an estimated 70,000 US jobs and increase US GDP by at least US$11 billion due to increased exports of goods alone, and that Americans could probably benefit from these agreements if they work for or with anyone who makes, grows, or provides goods and services to Korea, Colombia, or Panama. ■ For daily news of the textile industry,please visit www.AdsaleATA.com ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News Regional Focus Eastern Europe sharpening its competitive edge Textile and apparel industry of Eastern Europe has been developing at a fast pace in the past decade, thanks to its proximity to the Western European markets. While countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia are competing in the manufacturing realm, Russia has seen a fast growing retail market. Bulgaria as “Europe’s quick response solution” Bulgaria is among the Eastern European countries noted for its textile and apparel manufacturing. The country was described as “Europe’s quick response solution” by the Bulgarian Association of Apparel and Textile Producers and Exporters at the Texprocess Forum held during the recent Texprocess in Frankfurt, Germany. Caption:Texprocess Forum held during the recent Texprocess in Frankfurt, Germany (Image Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera) It highlighted various advantages for production in the country, including its consistent reliability and fast deliveries, its flexibility to produce in small scales, its most advanced technological equipment in East Europe, its proximity to markets and materials suppliers, its experience with the Western Europe markets, its highly skilled labor force and competitive labor costs. According to the association, Bulgarian firms are rapidly developing the internal capabilities to manage all aspects of their supply chains to European partners, including sourcing, design, transport/logistics and own branding. It added that combined with Bulgaria’s strategically favorable location, these capabilities make working with the country a valuable component to companies’ strategy. Romania launches Textile Concept Cluster Romania is also poised to vie in the manufacturing arena. To promote its clothing industry both on the domestic and foreign market, Romanian Textile Concept Cluster has been launched in Bucharest, according to a report of Romanian news agency Agerpres. According to the Romanian Textile Concept Association, the concept aims at achieving a cluster communication system to raise the competitiveness of the Bucharest-Ilfov region by setting up training systems to improve the manpower’s vocational skills and attracting new companies. As reported, the cluster is the third innovative one in textile sector, and a ready- made network is planned to be set up in Romania by the end of 2011, Manager of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment (MECMA) Directorate of Industrial Policies Cristina Leucuta said. President of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sorin Dimitriu was quoted by stating: “The Romanian textile industry relies on cheap manpower and is affected by losing its clients, which chose countries such as India and Pakistan, for instance, to have their products manufactured. Romania must conquer the average and the high price segment in order to integrate all such elements. The Cluster has every ingredient to be valid.” Croatia adding values to stay competitive Croatia produces a diversity of products for exports. According to the Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the main products Croatia produces are readymade garments, home textiles, hosiery for men and women, accessories and technical textiles. Dr Mirjana Gambiroža Jukić, Business Secretary of the Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, told ATA Journal that what sets Croatian textile and apparel industry aside from other manufacturing countries is its high quality of work, its design of finished textile products and readymade garments to a considerable extent, its attention to delivery deadlines, its readiness to rapidly respond to fashion trends as well as its openness to international co-operation. At the moment, the country’s textile and apparel industry is working on reducing manufacturing costs, developing and creating their own collections as well as promoting their own brands, noted the association. “The Croatian textile and clothing industry insists on constant technological advancements. It is both highly specialized and competitive on market as it manufactures goods with a higher share of added value,” said Dr Jukić. She pointed out the direction in which Croatian textile and apparel industry will develop is towards changing production structure based on adding values, constantly improving business operation, applying innovations and knowledge, and implementing industrial clustering strategy. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Industry News Regional Focus Russia’s clothing and footwear market to exceed US$75bn in 2013 Unlike other countries in Eastern Europe, Russia has a fast-growing retail market. The country’s clothing and footwear market is worth US$56 billion in 2010, according to estimates by the PMR research firm, and in the next few years, it is expected to further increase, by 10% on average. Russia remains one of the most attractive retail markets. In 2010, retail sales increased in Russia by nearly 13%, reaching around US$540 billion. Moreover, this year the pace of growth is not declining. The clothing and footwear market is the second-largest retail sector in the country after food retail, and after a stagnant 2009, the pace of growth significantly accelerated last year, as revealed in PMR’s latest report. CFA retail market value in Russia (RUB bn) and growth (%). 2005-2013 1,222 1,338 1,452 1,533 1,539 1,704 1,916 2,095 2,263 9.5% 8.5% 5.5% 0.4% 10.7% 12.4% 9.3% 8.0% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011f 2012f 2013f f-forecast Source: report “Clothing and footwear retail market in Russia 2001 Luxury market insight and development forecasts for 2011-2013” , PMR Publications, 2011 Caption: Russia’s CFA retail market (in RUB billion) of 2005-2013 (Source: PMR) According to PMR estimates, the Russian clothing, footwear and accessories (CFA) market in 2010 amounted to RUB 1,704 billion (about US$56 billion), demonstrating a nearly 11% increase compared with the previous year. All the segments noticeably recovered after the decline (or slowdown) suffered as a result of the financial crisis. Clothing accounted for two-thirds of the total CFA market in 2010, whereas footwear and accessories constituted around 32% and 2%, respectively. In its recent press release, PMR also forecasts that over the next three years, the size of the Russian CFA market will expand, although at a decreasing pace, to reach around RUB 2.3 trillion (about US$75 billion) in 2013, and all main CFA segments are expected to grow. Clothing and footwear will be driven by children’s wear, as well as the reviving middle-price segment, PMR analysts indicate. According to PMR, some luxury CFA brands tend to establish their own distribution channels, terminating their contracts with distributors in Russia, in order to streamline and accelerate their territorial growth. Among brands that have recently decided to develop independent operations in Russia are Hermes Group and Prada. ■ AD: NIT ÖRME KNITTING AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com

Industry News Association News Italy: positive signs seen at ITMA despite order slowdown by Kelvin Yau According to the Italian Association of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), at ITMA 2011, Italy led the way both in terms of the number of exhibiting companies (319), and of total visitors (nearly 9,000, or 9% of the total number of visitors to the event). “These are very respectful figures, mirroring the healthy state of Italy’s entire textile manufacturing sector,” emphasized SandroSalmoiraghi, ACIMIT President. “Our manufacturers believed in ITMA as a must opportunity for the industry, and they were right.” caption: Sandro Salmoiraghi, ACIMIT President “The massive presence of Italian companiesin Barcelonabears witness to the vitality of our sector in spite of the profound uncertainty influencing the global economic landscape. Global growth appears to have hit a snag, and this downturn is across the board and stronger than expected, even for emerging countries.” At ITMA 2011, Italian machinery companies emphasized the sustainability and efficiency in their products, seeking to satisfy an overall demand in the sector for a development model that is sustainable and offers end users efficient technology solutions while cutting down on energy and production costs, noted ACIMIT. The association stresses that satisfaction for the results obtained at the fair was generally shared by all Italian exhibitors, who recorded an impressive number of contacts from South America, India and Turkey. “The high number of Italian visitors confirms the healthy state of Italy’s textile sector, and provides the groundwork for the next edition of ITMA, to be held in Milan,” added Mr Salmoiraghi. In fact, with the Spanish edition of ITMA now archived, organizer’s already looking ahead to ITMA 2015. “We’ve already established contacts with theauthorities in Milan and the event’s primary stakeholdersin an effort to possibly make of ITMA an event that is even moreworthy of its name. We especially appreciated the visit to Barcelona of Franco D’Alfonso, the Councillor for Trade, Productive Activities, Tourism andTerritorial Marketing for the City of Milan, whose presence bore witness to the commitment and attention Milan intends to reserve to ITMA 2015,” he said. Slowdown in new orders Despite positive results at ITMA 2011, according to ACIMIT, following several quarters of sustained recovery compared with the minimum levels recorded during the recession in 2008 and 2009, the country’s textile machinery industry has seen a slowdown in new orders. The association said that the downturn, already apparent in the year’s second quarter, has worsen during the summer period from July to September. Index of orders (in constant values - base 2005=100) 200 170 140 110 80 50 1∘Qtr 10 2∘Qtr 10 3∘Qtr 10 4∘Qtr 10 1∘Qtr 11 2∘Qtr 11 3∘Qtr 11 Caption: Index of orders of the Italian textile machines (Source: ACIMIT) According to ACIMIT, the overall index of orders for the year’s third quarter showed a 45% decrease compared to the previous period, stopping at a value of 70.8 points. The greatest drop was recorded in exports, where the index registered 75.3 points (-46%). On domestic market, orders fell by 39%, at a value of 60.4 points. The association said that economic growth at a global level is slackening off, and this is also occurring in emerging markets which have greater demands for textile machinery. For both the domestic and export markets, the majority of manufacturers estimate that on the whole, the fourth quarter of 2011 will bring in a stable flow of orders, as compared to the previous three months. Moreover, the percentage of companies forecasting increased orders in export market is larger than those which foresee increasing orders in the domestic market (34% compared to 13%), said ACIMIT. ■ Domestic market order forecasts (2011 IV Qtr on the previous Qtr) Increasing 13% Decreasing 2% Stationary 85% Foreign markets order forecasts (2011 IV Qtr on the previous Qtr) Increasing 34% Decreasing 3% Stationary 63% Caption: Forecast of orders of Italian textile machinery (Source: ACIMIT) ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline Review on China’s entry into WTO a decade later by Zhou Kaibin, Ajay Sinha, Ngo Van Tuan Ten years ago, China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). During the past decade, its textile industry has undergone rapid development, partly due to the country’s growing consumption market and its integration into the global economy. This has more or less impacted on the textile industries of neighboring manufacturing countries in Asia, such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It has been 10 years since China accessed to the WTO on 11 December 2001. During the decade, the Chinese textile industry has grasped the opportunities encountered, and proactively tackled various challenges. As a result, it has been dubbed the “textile manufacturing powerhouse”. Achievements in ten years In the last century, China’s textile industry implemented reform of state-owned enterprises and modification of industrial structure. This was a long and difficult process, yet has built up a solid foundation for its further growth after China entered the WTO. The industry has grabbed the opportunity of integrating into the global economy and its expanding domestic market, witnessing 10 years of remarkable achievements. The Chinese textile industry invested RMB403.7 billion (about US$63.5 billion) in 2010, compared with RMB43 billion (about US$6.76 billion) in 2001, an 8.38 times growth. This has manifested an impressive development at a fast pace. In 2010, China’s volume of textile fibers processing made up about 40% of the world’s total. Chinese textile enterprises with annual sales volume of over RMB20 million (above-scale enterprises) manufactured 30.89 million tons of chemical fiber, 27.17 million tons of yarn and 65.5 billion meters of fabric, 3.67, 3.57 and 2.26 times respectively that of 2001 before China accessed to the WTO, all top-ranked in the world. Besides, these above-scale textile enterprises reached total production output of RMB46,707 trillion (US$7,349.18 trillion), 5.13 times more than RMB910.3 billion (US$143.23 billion) in 2001. Caption:In 2010, China’s volume of textile fibers processing made up about 40% in the world’s total amount After China’s accession to the WTO, a more open environment has been created for the China-made textile and apparel for exports. Consequently, its export turnover has continued to rise and doubled every four to five years. China’s textile and apparel exports in 2001 and 2005 were US$54.3 billion and US$117.5 billion respectively, making up 15% and 24% respectively in the global market. In 2010, its exports hit US$212 billion, with its global market share that rose to 33%. The exponential growth of China’s domestic market is also a driving force to boost its textile industry. In 2010, 81.7% of its production output was for domestic consumption, compared with 67.6% in 2001. For the above-size enterprises, the textile industry’s domestic output rose from RMB582.1 billion in 2001 to RMB3717.7 billion in 2010. Strengthening industry’s competitiveness After accessing to the WTO, China’s textile industry has further strengthened its existing three advantages and consolidated its status in the international market. The first advantage is the traditional comparative advantage of China’s textile industry in resources and costs. China is a major producer of cotton, hemp and silk with abundant natural resources and labor supply. The overall labor productivity went up from RMB125,000 (about US$19,670) in output value per capita in 2001 to RMB210,000 (about US$33,040) in 2005 and further to RMB417,000 (about US$65,610) in 2010. The salary level has been significantly rising in recent two years, but it is expected to enter into a long-term platform period after a sharp rise. In general, the labor wage of China is one-tenths less than of that of developed countries, and it would stay at low level for a long period, as compared with Korea and Taiwan. Another important advantage is China’s capacity of industrial chain. In the three industrial chains including garment, home textiles and industrial textiles, the garment-led industrial chain of weaving and dyeing sector is most comprehensive. Its production output of garment is 60 billion pieces a year; its yarns, cloth and ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline fabrics are almost all manufactured in China. Caption: The conference in which China’s accession to the WTO was announced in 2001 Structural modification has seen a new progress, with rapid development in sophisticated processing and emerging fields. Printing and dyeing fabric and non-woven fabric with high added-value and technical level have witnessed the fastest growth, with production output having increased by 19.6 times and 21.1 times respectively in 2010 compared with 2001. Besides, the development and industrialization of carbon fiber and other hi-tech products have also obtained remarkable progress. The past 10 years can be divided into two phases, marked by the cancellation of global textile and apparel quota restrictions on January 1, 2005. The Agreement for Textiles and Clothing (ATC Agreement) remained effective from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2004. It regulated the methods of cancellation of trade restrictions of textile and apparel, including cancelling the products listed in the appendix to the ATC Agreement, and expanding the import quota of the products under restrictions. Quotas of textile and apparel were finally abolished and fully managed by WTO with the expiration of ATC Agreement. Following the extended import quotas and cancellation of a series of quotas in many countries, China’s textile industry continued to grow and its exports went up year by year. Post-quota period The path wasn’t totally smooth after China’s accession to WTO. China is also restricted by the articles of “special protectionist tariffs”. WTO members have set up special safeguard rules for the textiles made in China, i.e. “Paragraph 242”, which refers to paragraph 242 of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of China to the World Trade Organization (Accession Agreement) and is more easily operated than other articles of “special protectionist tariffs”. According to the rule, if the exports of China-made textile would create disruption to the market of any WTO member country during 2005-2008, such member country may temporarily implement restriction, but it can only implement one time for the same category within four years, and such restriction can only be effective within one year each time. Textile and apparel are the major products China exports for foreign exchange and play a main role in the international trade relief after China became a WTO member. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Commerce of China, there were 45 cases relating to anti-dumping against China-made textile and apparel in 2009. In recent two years, the industries in the coastal regions of China were shifted to other places, and the textile industries of Southeast Asian countries swiftly rose due to their cost advantage. Trade protection measures can be generally divided into policy category and technology category. Policy-related trade protection measures cover anti-dumping, anti-allowance and special safeguard measures, which are mainly against those countries at the same competitive level as China in the international market, such as India, Pakistan and other developing countries. Technology-related trade protection measures are mostly concentrated in the developed economies, such as the US, Japan, Europe, Canada and so on. Also, a number of new regulations were formulated or renewed in the world, for example, REACH, eco-friendly label standard for textiles, Oeko-Tex 100 certification standard and so on. The policy-related or technology-related trade protection measures brought cost pressure and risk to the Chinese textile and apparel exports. Financial crisis Before the financial crisis in 2008, changes already occurred within China’s textile industry. The investment rate of the textile industry of 12 provinces and cities in China’s eastern region was rapidly increasing and reached the peak (76%) in 2005. It gradually decreased since 2006 and stood at 53.5% in 2010, which saw 22.5% decrease; the investment rate of nine provinces in China’s central region rose from 16.9% in 2001 to 39.7% in 2010, up by 22.8%. The year 2007 was very different for China. The global economy, especially China’s economy, showed signs of overheating, and most industries grew at high speed. The Chinese textile industry entered a period of modification, especially in the eastern region. Textile enterprises at the coastal region shut down their factories due to rising costs and appreciation of renminbi. This indicated that the growth of the textile industry in eastern China was not sustainable and structure-related contradiction appeared. While the textile industry in China was being shifted to the central and western regions of China, the global financial crisis in 2008 disturbed the normal operation of the economy. The Chinese government revised its macro-control policy. The moderately loose monetary policy that was implemented at the end of 2008 made the textile industry resume its rapid development, which reduced the pressure of modification and upgrading of the textile industry in the eastern region, and also delayed the course of shifting from the eastern region to the western region. Since 2009, the newly added capacity of the textile industry in China’s coastal region could not play its role and mostly became idle. The optimal chance for shifting to the central and western regions of China was interrupted. After the crisis, domestic prices in China drastically rose. In 2011, China implemented the prudent monetary policy and tightened monetary measures, coupled with the rising costs, a ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Frontline number of small- and medium-sized textile enterprises in the eastern region were in trouble and the situation was even worse than that in 2007 and 2008. China’s central and western region also faced a tough time in 2007. Under the circumstances, previous international orders of the eastern region are directly shifted to Southeast Asia. Developing China into a primary textile power China’s textile industry has undergone rapid development after its accession to WTO. But competition has become even fiercer, and the trend is that China needs to shift its focus from low- to medium-grade textile products to medium- and high-grade products. The China National Textile and Apparel Council has made plans to take the industry to new height in the next 10 years. China’s textile industry is now faced with challenges such as lack of manpower, lack of capital, insufficient power supply, high costs and high taxes. These require the textile industry of China to improve competitiveness in industrial upgrading with innovation, and seek breakthrough in brand development. China’s textile industry will modify its mode of economic growth, pay more attention to quality, innovation, branding and quick response rather than price and quantity, so as to achieve sustainable development and become a textile power in scale and in strength. Impacts on Asian manufacturing countries China’s development in its textile and apparel industry has been remarkable since it joined the WTO. To some extent, this has affected other manufacturing countries in Asia. According to some Indian experts, one of the important events that have taken place in the Indian textile industry is that major textile global players are setting up their manufacturing units in India to take advantage of the country’s highly skilled workforce, relatively cheap and abundant labor pool. Some Indian experts believe that the golden era of Chinese textile and apparel exports is over and the production base of global textiles is gradually shifting from China to India, Pakistan and other lower cost destinations like Vietnam and Bangladesh and so on. They note that as the Chinese textile industry is hit by the rise in labor wages, price of yarn, fabrics and garments, there has been relocation of factories to other economies. According to WTO trade statistics, during 2011, India has ceded more ground to Vietnam and Indonesia in the US market for both textile and apparel, while Bangladesh has been ramping up its market share in the EU through the LDC (Least Developed Country) concession that allows it zero duty access to the European markets. Industry experts in Bangladesh noted that the change in European Union’s (EU) import rules gives Bangladesh (and other LDCs) a significant competitive advantage over competitors. The change gives the Bangladesh duty-free access to the EU for clothes AD: ZHEJIANG JIAYI MACHINERY CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com

Frontline and other finished goods. China, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are Bangladesh’s main competitors in garment sector but they are not LDCs and will be liable for duty. On the ramifications of these new rules by EU, sources said that in the first few months of 2011, there was a surge in the value of Bangladeshi garment exports as the new rule has taken effect. Plants from China and India, amongst others, have begun setting up in Bangladesh in an effort to secure a foothold in the largely domestically-owned industry. Vietnam reducing reliance on China For years, Vietnamese consumers have been wearing a lot of China-made garments, while garment manufacturers have been importing materials from China, because of their competitive prices and product diversity. Caption: A garment factory in Vietnam (Image source: Kaosha Textile) In the garment sector, Vietnam’s competition with China is not only on export markets but also on China’s own domestic market. Many Chinese products are imported to Vietnam, from kidswear to sportswear, lingerie to protective clothes. Therefore, Vietnamese manufacturers have begun to focus more on developing their own domestic market as the best solution to offset their decline in exports. “Alongside exports, the manufacturers come back to the local market. We are trying to retake the domestic market currently covered by the imported brands,” said Le Trung Hai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). For the textile sector, Vietnam is still relying heavily on the imported materials and China is one the biggest suppliers of these for years. According to the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the imports of the materials for textile, garment and footwear during January to June of 2011 reached US$1.48 billion, and among them, China-imported materials were valued US$406.8 million, accounting for 27.5% of total materials imported. Thailand’s garment sector “seriously affected” The Thai textile and garment industry has been affected seriously by Chinese textile and garment goods, especially the garment sector, Silpsarnvitch Yuttana, Executive Manager of Thai Garment Manufacturers Association (TGMA) told ATA Journal. “Thailand’s garment export has seen growth almost every year. But if you dig down to each product category, you will find that only three categories have growth in big number. They are sport wear, lingerie, and kidswear. They have now become product champion of Thailand. Other products don’t seem to grow because of Chinese effects.” Caption: A Thailand-based production facility of garment (Image source: VT Garment) The textile sector doesn’t seem to be affected much by China because of its well-developed production as well as exports. Among the ASEAN countries, “made-in-Thailand” textiles are at the top quality and have recently exported well to these neighboring countries. “Textile business is quite good. We export a lot to our neighboring countries in ASEAN like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma, because they have no local textile industries and many Thai entrepreneurs invest in garment factories abroad, with fabric sent from Thailand to their offshore factories as well,” added Mr Yuttana. However, the Thai products are receiving more and more orders from big customers who want to reduce their dependence on Chinese products, he said. “Japan is now one of the biggest and most important customers especially in the near future, as they want to shift some orders from China to other countries. Thus, Thailand may produce some items for them, and will make more exports soon.” Positive signs in Cambodia Cambodia solely focuses on the garment sector because the textile sector is still very small there. Nearly all materials for garment production are imported from China. In addition, Hong Kong and Taiwan are two major investors of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Cambodia’s garment industry. These manufacturers tend to import the materials from China. The rapid development of the Chinese textile and garment industry appears to generate positive effect on the Cambodian textile and garment industry. “Cambodia does not produce any textiles and as such most of our raw materials such as fabrics are mainly imported from China,” Ken Loo, Secretary General of Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) told ATA Journal. Regarding the garment sector, almost all Cambodia-made products are for exports, and there seems to be no competition on the domestic market. “In addition, we do not really have a local market, and thus there is no situation where Chinese products are competing with locally produced products,” added Mr Loo. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Market Focus They, too, need good hosiery by Adrian Wilson As people live longer nowadays, consumers are getting older – everywhere – and market analysts are now of a consensus that the €15 billion hosiery industry is missing a real opportunity by not targeting the older consumers. Another significant change is in size. Today, it is estimated that there are more than 100 million “plus-size” women worldwide whose hosiery needs are not fully met. In the US, almost one-third of the total consumer base is plus-size and this is growing at an average rate of 2% per year. In Europe, this segment makes up an average of 23% of the total consumer base. Global market situations The hosiery market can be broken down into well-defined product segments including socks (60% of the overall market), pantyhose, sheers, opaques, stockings, tights, leggings and several others. Women’s hosiery dominates, with over 80% of the total and today’s market demands center largely on shaping and structure enhancement for women. Competitive pricing in this respect plays a very important role in establishing the market positioning of a brand or company. China – which in 2010 produced up to 15 billion pairs of tights alone – now accounts for 80% of the world’s hosiery production and its own domestic market for its products is growing significantly (at a rate of 25% and higher for the past five years). China will have 2,795 hosiery retailers by the end of this year, it is estimated. Domestic sales of Chinese hosiery were worth €3 billion in 2010. Italy, of course, remains the pioneer in value-added hosiery, while Europe is the undisputed hosiery market consumption leader, with the largest market share both in terms of value and volume sales. There has been a decline, however, in the North American hosiery market in recent years. The recession and the consequent slowdown in the market led to tighter budgets and reduced purchasing power for consumers, but the fall in sales can also in part be attributed to both the increased durability of hosiery products, as well as the growing popularity of trousers over skirts. Happily, this situation is now reversing, with North American growth up by 7.3% overall in the 12-month period to July 2011, with a value of over US$7 billion. Caption: Hosiery plays a vital part in fashion world Europe and North America together account for more than 65% of the global hosiery market, but perhaps inevitably, Asia-Pacificis poised to race ahead as the fastest growing hosiery market worldwide in the next few years. The key influence on the sourcing of hosiery, like all apparel, over the past 10 years, has been the virtual abolition of protective measures by the key markets of Europe, the US and Japan. If anything, there is likely to be further liberalization in the next five years. Japan, for instance, has agreed to implement Free Trade Agreements with Southeast Asian countries and India as well as implementing liberalized Rules of Origin for Least Developed Countries, most notably Bangladesh. Most low-income Asian countries, with the exceptions of India, China and Pakistan, can now import their goods into Japan duty-free. The EU for its own part is planning to implement liberalized Rules of Origin for Euromed countries as well as a Free Trade Agreement with Korea, and perhaps another with India. The US, on the other hand, just signed new Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Korea and Panama, and may be extending fabric duty concessions to the AGOA (sub-Saharan Africa) countries. Older consumers and plus-size users The highly competitive and volatile hosiery market is dominated by a number of large players doing battle for market share, the most prominent including CSP International, Donna Karan, Golden Lady, Gold Toe-Moretz, GrupoSynkro, Hanesbrands, HCI Direct, Kayser-Roth, LVMH, Tefron, Triumph Apparel Corporation and Wolford. There is also a strong private label segment. Marketers and companies vie to provide the best bargains and greater promotional discounts to customers. For effective brand acceptance and market penetration, manufacturers are now offering value-added “multipack” products at very low prices. Yet the industry still, to a large extent, focuses on the 15-29-year-old market, which is just 35% of the overall market in Europe today. What is significant, however, is that this market is falling, while the over 30s market will continue to grow to represent 75% of the total, everywhere, before too long. What this market particularly needs is a wider sizing spectrum, to meet new needs in respect of comfort, movement and easy care, but there are also other considerations. For elderly people, for example, retirement living brings challenges. There may well be health issues and changes in energy levels, and reactions to medication can often make it difficult to dress and perform personal care activities. Older ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Market Focus people often find it harder to stay warm and so look for warmer clothes, while arthritis, muscle weakness or medical issues can make it complicated to get dressed. Clothes easy to get on and off from a seated position may also be required. With the rise of this market and a diminishment of youth-centric apparel targeting, all of these factors will come into play – along with different spending priorities – but a sizing system catering directly to it is a first essential. Caption: Older group and plus-size group are two hoisery markets whose needs are still unmet Difficulty in sizing Sizing for under garments, stockings and tights is particularly difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly, the addition of 10-20% elastane creates significant size variability in sizing charts. There are also different sizing methods but no standard, and people generally have different perspectives of size, which can be further confused by the many different product categories. To establish a standard for beauty hosiery and seamless garments, Lycra has recently analyzed approximately 250 commercial shaping garments, and in-depth garment engineering experiments have been conducted to correlate the “fabric” characteristics with the garments’ performance according to two critical dimensions – shaping and dynamic comfort. Globally, the “plus-size” sector is expected to grow yearly at a rate of 5% until 2014, and such consumers are having a hard time finding hosiery garments. Lycra’s new Xceptionelle hosiery is a first step in seeking to correct this.It is based on a patent-pending construction that accommodates the differing body shapes of larger women, offering greater overall garment comfort by helping to prevent dig-in at the waist or thigh. Greater market diversity is needed The older age group and the plus-size market are just two areas in which greater diversity is called for – examination of the vastly differing needs in different geographical markets is equally telling – as a direct comparison between France and India illustrates. India accounts for 17% of the global population and Indians spend an average US$27 per year on clothes, of which 0.9% is hosiery. France, by contrast, accounts for just 1% of the world population, but spends an average of US$547 per head on clothes each year, and 6.3% of this is hosiery. These are both considerable markets but it’s clear that their needs are very different. In developing countries, the hosiery market continues to be restrained by ‘the 3Cs’: continuing preference for traditional dress, climate, and cultural norms about exposing flesh. Where population growth is fastest, and the percentage of young people is highest, the growth of the hosiery market is weakest. And this suggests new marketing approaches are necessary. ■ AD: TAINING MACHINE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology Colors of nature The biomimetic structural coloration technology will revolutionize the development of textile dyeing and printing industry, writes Gong Yan It is human nature to constantly pursue beauty. On top of practicality, people are demanding more on appearance and color of apparels and home textiles. So far most colors of textiles are derived from chemical dyestuffs and auxiliaries. It is anticipated that there are 100,000 man-made dyestuffs available and among them, nearly 10,000 are commonly used. To a great extent, however, any man-made dyestuffs will create contamination to the environment. It is popularly believed that aesthetically pleasing products in the textile and apparel industry are made at the expense of the environment. But this scenario seems to be rewritten with new technology. In the nature, mountain and water are green without dyeing. There are also other colorful things such as birds and butterflies. How can the nature bring us so many colors? This is what we are longing to explore. If you look very carefully, you’d find that colors actually alter with the change of angle of sunlight and eyesight. In the nature, colors consist of pigment colors and structural colors. Colors generated by pigment are based on the selective absorption of light, while structural colors are generated by selective reflection arising from dispersion, scattering, interference and diffraction. Thanks to the advanced technology, the secret of colors, through biomimetic, can now be unveiled to make textiles and fibers colorful, bright and full of varieties. Coloration with nanophotonic crystal Alternatively colored, peacock feathers glitter like metallic luster. Interestingly, their colors are of gradual change - when you take a closer look at peacock’s feather from one side to the other, you will find its colors changing from blue-green to yellow-green. This is what makes coloration by physical structure more unique and in a way, charmingly magical than that by traditional chemical dyeing. Inspired by the study of a peacock feather’s structure, Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology has explored to use physical and optical technologies to generate special colors with nanophotonic crystals. Caption: Peacock feather’s structure is a natural inspiration of colors The congregation status of two-dimensional photonic crystal structure of keratin in feather barbs generates a two-dimensional periodic structure, which has strong reflection to light in a certain wave band along the surface to form different array of colors. And there are two methods in adjusting colors: one is to control interval of period; the other one is to control the number of periods. The colors of peacock feather are controlled by interval of period with different periodic structures under surface. The corresponding intervals of period of small barbs decrease in the order of brown, yellow, green and blue. Research on infrared spectrum discovered that the chemical components of peacock feathers in yellow and blue area have no significant difference. This proves that the colors of peacock feather are not generated based on the theory of coloration through pigment but through its own structure. Under the optical microscope with magnification of 100 times, it is clear that feathers show colors under illumination of white light. The colors vary from light yellow to deep green with the change of observation angle. Adjusting the magnification factor to 500 times, we can see that small barbs give out metallic luster with a clear scale layer on the surface, presenting a “sectional” structure. Observing with a scanning electron microscope with 200 times of magnification, you will find that the average axial diameter of small barbs is 50-80 micrometers and the average length of each ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology Caption: A peacock feather under optical microscope with magnification of (left) 100 times and (right) 500 times section is 30-40 micrometers. However, this external form is not a major structure for color generation. There is smaller-structure mechanism which determines coloration inside small barbs. Observing a feather crack on a small barb with scanning electron microscope at magnification of 1,500, 8,000, 15,000 and 25,000 times, you can see keratin layers arranging inside small barbs. This very thin protein fiber can reach 150-160 nanometers in its diameter. Their arrangement forms a two-dimensional photonic crystal fiber structure with equal thickness and clear structure and goes along the axial direction of small barbs. When illuminated by a beam of light, this microscopic physical structure at level of nanometer will form a good interference and superposition to photons, which is similar to white light going through a triangular prism to form seven-color light, and then reflect a single color towards one direction to form a color. Such microscopic photonic crystal structure of peacock feather has strong effect of light reflection and demonstrates different colors with varied angles of light. The tightness of keratin arrangement and superposition layers in feather determines different colors of peacock feather such as yellow, green, blue, brown and so on. Interference arising from protein crystal fibers makes colorless creatures become beautiful. The colorful feathers of many birds are related to the nano micro-structure inside their feathers. Such structure shows Natural coloration mechanisms Dispersion Dispersion is the simplest one in structural coloration. Many substances can generate dispersion, and the common substance is water drop in air. Gems and other materials can generate dispersion while reflection, for example, diamond, has very high dispersion value, and gives out attractive colorful flash while rotating. If some materials are put on textiles in the manner of small particles, rainbow colors can also be generated by dispersion. Scattering The creatures in the nature generate color by scattering through the small particles on their surface. They generate blue or white according to the size and shape of the particles. For example, on the feathers of blue magpie, the small barbs are overlapped and exist on the tissue with hook on the side surface of barbs. The external cutin of barbs is colorless and transparent with 10μm of thickness. Under the cutin, there are box-shaped cells. Cutin contains large amount of irregular air sac sized 30-300nm and has strong optical scattering capacity. Barbs generate blue through Rayleigh scattering to light. Interference Interference refers to alternative appearance of light and dark stripes when two coherent light sources from the same light source meet in space. The interference stripes will generate periodic change based on their position and distance. In film interference, soap foams, oil membrane on water, double reflective materials and certain animals will generate rainbow. This optical interference generates very pure color tones with metallic luster and transparency. Feathers of many birds generate different colors varying with refraction rate, size, shape and thickness of scales on surface of feather. When the thickness of thin layer decreases, the color changes from red to green and then to blue. There is regularity in nano organizational structure on the scale surface of butterfly’s wing. The scale is cross-laminated with membrane-like substances, and one film is tightly interwoven into another and the exposed part has the action of interference and reflection to light. In addition, fish’s scale, eye and snake skin, some ores, pearl, moss and lichen, seaweed leaf and so on generate laminating luster due to action of interference. Diffraction Diffraction refers to deviation with straight-line propagation that light bypasses the edge of obstacle in the course of propagation. Diffraction color is based on the distance between two layers and varies with change of observation angle. Natural opal is a natural diffraction grating, which can show various color lamination (named color swaying) on white or black background. Crystal is another important substance of diffraction coloration. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Material Technology arrangement of nanofiber substances has certain regularity and periodicity to perform extraordinary functions. Scientific exploration In ancient times, Chinese people utilized the unique color characteristics of peacock feathers to add colors to textiles. The cloud-pattern brocade is a good example. Weavers turned peacock feathers into yarns with special processes and added them into textiles, which own fresh and changing colors which do not fade. After being buried, textiles dyed with pigment always fade, but those added with peacock feathers remain colorful. Caption: Many fascinating colors are derived from the nature Study on peacock feathers’ colors and biomimetic technology may bring us a beacon of hope. For structural coloration will not reduce light intensity, those generated colors are very bright and even gives out metallic luster. Coloration with pigment varies with chemical structure and color will change or disappear, while colors generated with structure will not disappear as long as the refraction rate and size of material remain unchanged. The biomimetic structural coloration technology will revolutionize the development of textile dyeing and printing industry. The nano structure in the small barbs of peacock feather is manually imitated, and this nano periodic structural coloration mechanism is applied in textile fiber industry to generate special colors. People will not rely on chemical dyestuffs, the colors will be bright and never disappear, with the environment being properly protected. Besides textiles, we can also develop nano printing machines based on this theory and print colorful pictures without “pigment”. According to the optical interference coloration theory based on study on wing surface of butterfly, Japanese Teijin has developed structural colored fibers Morphotex. These are laminated structure fibers made possible through nanotechnology and the thickness of the lamination is controlled in the order of nanometers for optically developing colors. This technology is based on the biomimetic conception for the microscopic structure of Morpho butterfly’s wings. Thin films of 70 nm thickness consisting either of polyester or nylon are laminated in 61 layers alternatively, and colors are developed by precisely controlling the layer thickness according to visible wavelength. If polymer composition is reasonably selected with sufficient number of layers, the color of these fibers can vary from light to deep, and in theory, any color can be obtained. Meanwhile, the US-based Meadowbrook Inventions Inc., has developed Angelina fibers, which also generate laminating color by membrane’s optical interference. The fibers are mainly short fibers and are made with polyester and polyamide film. Among them, the laminating film contains 200 layers of two or more polymers and generates optical interference and various laminating colors when the refraction rate and thickness of polymer vary. The fibers can be plated in metal so they have various colors including gold, silver and pearl color and are in the flat or crimp shape. The laminating colored fibers plated with metal have electrical conductivity. Same as Morphotex fiber, this is sensitive to humidity and heat, and therefore, it is suitable for textiles without humid and heat processing, especially when blended or interwoven with some dyeing fibers (or yarns) for manufacturing fashionable apparels or handicrafts. The interference colored film was developed even earlier, and the manufacturing and technical difficulty is relatively lower. It is unnecessary to manufacture multi-layer film for obtaining lamination film. There are many types of polymers, including polyester, polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene and polyurethane. These structural colored films have single-layer and multi-layer combination films. The coloration effect of single layer is not satisfactory, and most of which are plated with metal and are used as reflective film; multi-layer combination films can generate various colors. At the moment, structural colored film is mainly used for decoration, trademark and marketing materials, but is seldom used in textiles. Processing of textile coating is to apply one or several layers of polymer film on the base fabric. If the formed film has proper thickness and the refraction rate of polymer is moderate, it can generate optical interference and colors. Therefore, certain coated fabrics can generate interference coloration. This coated fabric generates colors by film interference and has certain influence to the base fabric, and thickness of film is larger than that of fiber. If the problem of arrangement in direction is resolved with this method, the man-made nanofibers imitating structural coloration of peacock feathers are believed to greatly benefit our lives in the near future. ■ Gong Yan is an associate professor of Material Science and Engineering Department of Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature Weaving the way towards energy conservation by Staff Reporters The recent debt crisis in the two major markets, Europe and the US, appears to have put the entire textile and apparel industry in an uncertain position. On top of that, massive pressures have mounted with the spiraling raw materials prices and labor costs. Under such circumstances, weavers in particular are struggling to survive. The most daunting challenge faced by textile weavers, according to Swiss weaving machinery maker Stäubli, is to respond quickly to the rapidly changing market demand, where there is already overcapacity in fabric production, and the prices are low. To help them improve their competitiveness, weaving machinery suppliers have worked to develop new technologies. But what is the leading direction for the development of weaving machinery? The latest developments in weaving machines lie in energy conservation, high productivity, high performance, flexibility, consistent fabric quality and versatility in terms of applications, said Dr Hua Tao, Instructor of Institute of Textiles and Clothing of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, at the recent Review Seminar on ITMA 2011 in Hong Kong. His views were echoed. “Energy saving and sustainability will continue to be important in weaving machinery’s development. However, the machines must be easy to operate and maintain low price, durability and flexibility to produce not just one particular product but a range of products,” noted Reinhard Furrer, Marketing & Sales of Stäubli Sargans Ag. Latest technological advancements In the realm of weaving machinery, a number of suppliers are finding their ways to improve their weaving technologies in terms of enhancing productivity, flexibility, fabric quality and so on. Stäubli, for instance, has developed shedding machinery for high productivity and some for extremely high flexibility. Besides, the company notes that it is offering products to rationalize and automate weaving preparation processes such as warp tying, drawing-in, and warp leasing. 5m-width carpet weaving machines For Belgium-based Van de Wiele, a significant development is the engineering of carpet weaving machines of 5m in width. Weaving area rugs on a 5m-machine gives more sellable sizes of carpet, says the company. On a 4m-machine, numerous small carpets and runners are woven. These carpets are quite expensive and sold under cost price. On a 5m-machine, weavers can better fit commercial sizes in width. Also for wall-to-wall carpet and artificial grass, the width of 5m or 15ft gives many advantages. According to Van de Wiele, another big advantage is energy saving. With energy consumption unchanged, the production on a 5m-machine is up to 20% more, so the saving of energy is up to 20%. The company continue to explain that the 5m-machine is equipped with an energy bus, distributing and recuperating the energy between the motors in the machine. As a result, this can contribute to extra energy saving of up to 15%. New weft monitoring approach Italian weaving machinery supplier, ITEMA Weaving, has introduced the Maestro Weft Monitoring System on its new Silver 501 Rapier Machine. According to the company, Maestro uses a special weft detector that transmits signals from each eyelet to the micro-processor of the loom. Innovative software from the loom’s micro-processor allows real time analysis of the signal and thus efficient handling of all weft breakage conditions. As introduced, the weft detector has been designed to produce a numerical value for each of the 8 or 12 eyelets of the detector. If no weft is inserted for a given position, the signal value will be extremely low (the signal noise level); if a weft yarn is moving in the eyelet, the numerical value can go up as high as 4000, thus offering a very good signal/noise ratio. Caption: ITEMA Weaving’s Maestro weft detector on its Silver 501 rapier machine ITEMA Weaving explains that for each pick insertion, the 8 or 12 numerical values are continuously transmitted to the loom’s micro-processor, multiple ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature Weaving machinery times for each pick. In fact, the numerical values are transmitted for each degree of the weaving cycle. The data communication between weft detector and the loom’s electronics is handled by a very fast and secure means of data communication. With ITEMA Weaving’s new electronic NCP (common electronic platform for its loom types), the required computation power is guaranteed even at extremely high rapier weaving speeds, says the company. SyncroDrive and Open Reed Weave Technology German weaving machinery maker Lindauer Dornier has also made remarkable strides in weaving technology. It has developed SyncroDrive drive system. It explains that the shedding motion runs up with a controlled start with gentle material handling; the shedding motion and weaving machine then synchronize at a reference point. The large data volume that must then be transferred in real-time can only be ensured without interruption with the new FT electronics. At the same time, the company has reduced voltage peaks during run-up by 1/3 as against classic direct drives. This saves the weaver considerable electricity costs. It stresses that this system allows an electronic close of shed adjustment even when the machine is running and is therefore unique. Its SyncroDrive brings a drastic reduction in load peaks and, therefore, 6 to 10% higher performance and longer service life. Besides, its Open Reed Weave Technology makes it possible to combine embroidery and weaving in one process. In practical use, this embroidery weaving system is usable for clothing and drapery. An extended technology has been developed as multiaxial technology for partial reinforcement for technical textiles. All these innovations are available for Dornier’s air-jet and rapier weaving machines. Some weaving machinery suppliers and their products To help weavers bolster their productivity and product quality, weaving machinery makers have development cutting edge technologies. Presented below are some of their latest innovations. Bonas ZJ and LJ series Bonas Jacquard weaving ZJ and LJ series boast harmonic mechanism driving low friction selectors and benefit from low torque, low mass and low inertia. Both models use only a minimum number of mechanical connections - one shaft connects both sides of lifting arms, but because of light torque, without excess torsion. With its LJ range, designed with bigger capacity hooks sizes in mind, the company uses dual cam box for concise shed control and dwell shed capabilities. Caption: Bonas ZJS2-28 Its machines require low maintenance due to its patented solenoid – “attracting hook- to latch” selectors, with only one moving part is exempt of any maintenance or lubrication – a major advantage when accessible Jacquard sizes frequently within use are 6144 hooks or above. Bonas selector, with its inherent 100% electronic principles, gives 100% diagnostic, fault control. Besides, factors such as temperature, air flow and design integrity are closely monitored, managed and cared for. The adjustable split heck also improves quality and efficiency. Comez MCJ/EL 700/384 jacquard weaving needle loom Comez’s innovative high-performance electronic Jacquard needle loom, for the production of exclusive high quality narrow fabrics, both rigid and elastic: laces, ribbons, articles for corsetry, ribbons for technical applications, all of which can be personalised with special inscriptions or intricate patterns. Comez MCJ/EL 700/384 offers the renewal of mechanical parts and elimination of the dobby unit, the application of innovative electronics, with new hardware and software, and a lean and robust structure that is easy to use and simplifies maintenance operations. The needle loom also offers smooth operation with noise reduced to a minimum and complete absence of vibrations, as well as high productivity and reliability. It is available in different models and can be equipped with 4 to 8 heads and with ribbon guide roller width of up to 90 mm. Caption: Comez MCJ/EL 700/384 weaving needle loom The dobby unit has been eliminated on this new needle loom. All yarns used (pattern, elastic and/or binding threads) are controlled by a new electronic jacquard head with 384 hooks that is specially designed to simultaneously manage both rigid and elastic threads, resulting in a leaner, more compact structure that is easy to thread. Dornier’s AWS 8/J G air-jet weaving machine With 190cm nominal width at 900rpm, Dornier’s AWS 8/J G air-jet weaving machine is designed for high quality Jacquard fabrics. Its new, pioneering and patented drive concept SyncroDrive is one of the significant components. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature Caption: Dornier AWS 8/J G air-jet weaving machine An electric control circuit to the separate drive of the Jacquard machine replaces the cardan connection between weaving and Jacquard machines. Separate starts for the Jacquard and weaving machines then merging at a rendezvous point allows a soft start which halves the peak current and ensures high speed stability without peak forces. This reduces wear on all components in the shedding area such as the harness and thus reduces machine standstills and warp end breaks.This drastic reduction in mechanical loads means weaving machines with this drive concept run 6 - 10% faster. ITEMA Weaving’s Sultex A9500 air-jet weaving machine Swiss ITEMA Weaving has introduced its new Sultex A9500 air-jet weaving machine. With its high performance and simplified design, the A9500 produces excellent fabric quality; its minimal air consumption is unrivaled. The machine is equipped with a special shed geometry designed to promote a long dwell while drastically reducing air consumption. The long weft insertion time and the high efficient nozzles insure the optimum acceleration curve for any type of yarn. The new electronic platform, through its large, full color touch screen display offers new functionalities and opens the doors to an efficient dialogue with the ITEMA Service Network. The Sultex A9500 air jet weaving machine is best suited for medium to heavy Denim, colored weaving and sheeting applications. Caption: Sultex A9500 air jet weaving machine Also, its Vamatex Silver 501 rapier weaving machine is equipped with the new electronic platform and is based on a totally revised mechanical design to ensure superior weaving performances and absolute stability in a continuous operation of difficult styles such as Denim or heavy fabrics. Jakob Müller NH2 53 narrow fabric loom Jakob Müller’s new electronically controlled narrow fabric loom NH2 53 is an electronically controlled loom for the weaving of medium-weight, elastic and non-elastic narrow fabrics. Electronically controlled shedding takes place via linear motors mounted directly on the shafts. These replace pattern chains and drums and both permit unlimited repeat lengths and pattern changes in minimum time. Caption: The electronically controlled NH2 53 narrow fabric loom The weft and auxiliary thread transport, as well as the narrow fabric take-off and main drive are also all electronically controlled and smoothly adjustable. As compared to conventional needle looms, the NH2 53 is fitted with considerably fewer mechanical parts, which results in both less wear and a cut in energy consumption of around 35 per cent, i.e. maximum 1 kW. Picanol’s OMNIplus Summum air-jet weaving machines Belgium-based weaving machinery manufacturer Picanol has developed the new generation of air-jet weaving machines - OMNIplus Summum. The company notes the OMNIplus Summum will gradually replace the OMP800 over the course of next year and will be the new platform for further developments in the airjet segment. The main highlights of this machine are the new insertion system and the Picanol BlueBox system, the new electronic platform for Picanol machines. Picanol BlueBox is the new electronic platform for Picanol weaving machines. It features superior microprocessor performance and memory capacity, a design constructed to meet the hardest working conditions, with state-of-the-art components and detection technology, remote check-up possibility, a modular build-up and offering the user many monitoring tools. This new platform is superior to any existing system on the market. Caption: Picanol’s OMNIplus Summum-4-P-340 for cotton sheeting The new insertion system, with fully electronic pressure regulators, a separate and integrated air tank for each weaving channel and a unique triple air tank set-up for the relay nozzles, offers many advantages in terms of user-friendliness and flexibility. The integrated BlueBox concept, which translates all the available data into optimal settings for maximum performance at lowest possible air consumption, allows all this without making compromises when it comes to performance, flexibility and energy. Stäubli SX series jacquard machines Among Stäubli’s electronic Jacquard machines, SX is its most modern type. Productivity of the SX surpasses that of other models, the machine is more compact, and it offers higher performance – meaning high loads and high speed. Its nearly vibration-free drive mechanism is extremely reliable and energy efficient. The machine consumes fewer wearing parts and requires a minimum of maintenance. The SX is available in two sizes, with 1408 or 2688 hooks. It is adaptable to rapier, air jet, and projectile weft-insertion systems. (Continued on p39) ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature Post-ITMA 2011 evaluations Following the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) held in Barcelona, the exhibitors, visitors and organizer of the show have shared the results they obtained. Also at a recent seminar in Hong Kong, some textile industry professionals reviewed the forthcoming trends and innovations they observed at the fair by Staff Reporters Two months after the ITMA 2011, the organizer of the show has reported encouraging results. As described by Stephen Combes, President of the show owner, European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX): “The recent International Exhibition of Textile Machinery (ITMA) has surpassed our expectations. Considering that the world is still facing economic difficulties, the vast majority of our exhibitors are delighted with the quality and the number of visitors. According to our national associations, their members have reported significant enquiries and many have taken even more orders than they hoped for.” “The textile and garment industry must be commended for its resilience and willingness to invest and to innovate. The sales and serious enquiries generated from qualified international visitors are greatly appreciated by the exhibitors, and our participants have all given a very positive response to the show,” he added. Exhibitors’ comments Besides the organizer, some exhibitors also reported good results at the fair. For instance, Japanese flatbed knitting machinery maker Shima Seiki received higher-than-expected number of sales, prospective sales and inquiries received at the fair. It added that the enthusiasm expressed by customers toward new technology and the inquiries helped renew faith in the future of the knitting industry in Europe, its outlying regions and other markets, despite current economic conditions. Besides, French nonwoven machinery producer Asselin-Thibeau, also known as NSC Nonwoven, stated that several businesses had been concluded during ITMA, stressing that its products received an excellent welcome, including its ExcelleIsoweb TT card as well as its ACS Profile crosslappers and its new SDV-2 needleloom for velour applications. Caption: Many exhibitors reported good results at ITMA 2011 AttilioCamozzi, President of Marzoli, said he is satisfied with the event’s outcome. “At the fair we were able to finalize orders for 30 million euros. Argentina and India are the main export destinations for the machinery we’ve sold, but orders will also be coming in from Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.” “Considering the current situation in the textile industry and the financial crisis, we’re pleasantly surprised with these results,” said TiberioLonati, CEO of Lonati Group. “The positive atmosphere at the trade fair, which transpired into new orders, as well as the possibility of developing new projects and partnerships, allows us to now look to the future with renewed trust and optimism.” Michele Riva, Sales Director at We R Reggiani, also demonstrated his appreciation for the results at the trade fair. “ITMA 2011 provided us with an opportunity to present our entire group to the market. The contacts and orders we established, above all from Western markets, largely exceeded our expectations.” “We were surprised by the large number of visitors. Both the volume and the quality of the interested parties and customers exceeded our expectations. More than 40% of the visitors came from European countries, many from South America but also a large percentage from Asia” said Ralf Hopp, Managing Director of the company. “Although the number of visitors is somewhat comparable with the ITMA in Munich, we expect a better follow-up business after the trade fair.” Michael P. Viniconis, President of Argus Fire Control, whose company has been exhibiting for eight editions of ITMA enthused, “This has been the best ITMA ever. The exposure we have received has been fantastic and we have seen a large number of visitors from many different countries. We are happy with the business opportunities from this show and are ready to book space for ITMA 2015.” The recent ITMA 2011 held in Barcelona, Spain, recorded trade visitorship of over 100,000 from 138 countries. On the fairground, the fair attracted 1,350 exhibitors from 45 countries and economies who demonstrated their latest technological products and innovative solutions. At the fair, sustainability seemed to be under the spotlight, with many exhibitors displaying their latest green technologies and eco-friendly products. The new fiber and yarn sector was also well-received by both exhibitors and visitors. Enthusiasm for new innovations Among the visitorship, Italy fielded the largest contingent of 9% of visitors, followed closely by host country Spain, then India. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature Germany and Turkey ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the visitorship tally. Visitors from Brazil and Iran were also among the top 10 visitor groups from outside of Europe. Top 10 origins of visitors Total number of visitors: 100,067 Italy (8.9%) Spain (8.8%) India (8.5%) Germany (7.7%) Turkey (7.1%) Brazil (5.3%) France (4.1%) Iran (2.7%) Portugal (2.4%) The UK (2.4%) Caption: Key statistics of visitorship of ITMA 2011 (Source: MP International Pte Ltd) “The majority of the visitors are related to the textile making hubs in Asia, and Central and South America. We have been able to attract leading textile and garment makers from these vibrant areas. Being global companies, they need to invest in innovative, yet cost-effective solutions to stay ahead of the competition,” said Sylvia Phua, CEO of MP International, organizer of ITMA 2011 and 2015. India is emerging as the preferred base for textile manufacturing, and Indian buyers were able to evaluate various machines for procurement during ITMA 2011, said Rita Menon, Textiles Secretary, Government of India, who led a high level delegation that included the Joint Secretary (Textiles) and the Textile Commissioner. “As a policy planner and in order to usher in India’s next leap into finer processing, finishing and a strong textile hub, it was particularly gratifying to have shown the finest technology in the world and a range of options at ITMA 2011.” The Indian delegation was among the more than 50 groups from 27 countries at the exhibition. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) delegation was headed by the Secretary of Textiles from Bangladesh. The Vietnamese Vice Minister of Trade and Industry also led a delegation. Association groups came from all over the world, ranging from Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Middle East. Review seminar by textile professionals ITMA 2011 provided a platform to take a glimpse of the industry’s technological advancement as well as trends of developments. At the recent “Review Seminar on ITMA 2011” hosted by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), four industry experts in different sectors shared their insights of the trends they observed at the fair. Flat knitting: responding to market change In discussing the flat knitting sector, Dr Jimmy Lam, Lecturer of Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, introduced the latest developments of the sector’s two market leaders, Shima Seiki and Stoll. “Solutions for Diversity” is Shima Seiki’s theme at ITMA 2011, and it represents its approach to build machines for different markets for their different requirements. Dr Lam explained that rapid market changes and fluctuations are the main reason behind the approach. “China has always been the company’s biggest market. But it is undergoing significant changes due to high material costs and labor costs. And now Russia, India and Brazil are becoming the company’s new markets and Shima Seiki is offering more compact machines tailored for their needs. These machines are also built with functions for smart production, which allow the user to perform planning, design and programming as well.” He introduced that during ITMA 2011, the Japanese company presented a wide range of new products, and among them was its new SWG-FIRST154 S21 computerized ultrafine gauge flat knitting machine. It is the first flat knitting machine in 21 gauge. It is equipped with Slide Needles with loop pressers and transfer jacks for a wide variety of patterns with a wide range of gauge. It also features i-DSCS (Digital Stitch Control System with Intelligence) for high speed knitting of fine and delicate material in finest-gauge fabrics. Caption: Audience at the recent “Review Seminar on ITMA 2011” hosted by HKRITA The Japanese flat knitting machinery maker also presented its SCG122SN 3G which is capable of producing fabrics with texture in the 2G-4G range. Dr Lam explained that the new machine can handle thick and heavier yarns, fancy yarn with i-DSCS. With Slide Needle, spring type sinker and double racking mechanism, bold and interesting designs can be produced with the look and feel of hand-knit garments. On the other hand, German flat knitting machinery maker Stoll has made remarkable strides in raising the productivity, said Dr Lam. At ITMA 2011, the company showcased its CMS 502 HP which claims to increase productivity by up to 10%. “HP” means high performance, he explained, adding that the new machine’s productivity can be improved by up to 10% with its Power RCR-system, shorter carriage stroke, faster carriage reverse time and higher carriage speed. Also, the company’s multi-gauge machine CMS 530 HP MG uses a special 4L gauge needle hook from GrozBeckert, he stated. Dr Lam summed up that both Shima Seiki and Stoll have responded to market demand by introducing new compact machines for the Far East markets, and both of them have taken advantage of new computerized technology on 3-D simulation in particular on virtual sampling, whole garment simulation. Circular knitting and warp knitting: boosted productivity At the seminar, Dominic Yuk, Manager-in-charge of Pro-Act Training and Development Centre (Fashion Textiles) at Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong, shared his observation in circular knitting and warp knitting at ITMA 2011. He noted that at the fair, circular knitting machinery makers such as Pai Lung, Mayer &Cie, Santoni, Terrot and Cixing, ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature presented their new machines that feature higher speed and higher number of feeders - both boosters of productivity. Caption: Shima Seiki presented its new SWG-FIRST154 S21 flat knitting machine Another determining factor of a circular knitting machine’s productivity is its knitting needles. Mr Yuk introduced that GrozBeckert’s new high quality knitting needles, namely litespeed, can improve the circular machine’s productivity. By partially diminishing the thickness of the needle shank, a reduction of the needle weight and of the friction between needle and trick walls is achieved. The litespeed needles claim to be able to reduce machine temperature by up to 20% and save energy consumption by up to 20%. He also highlighted the trend of spin-knit machines, a kind of machine that combines a spinning machine and a knitting machine. “At the moment, only three companies are producing this type of machines. They include Mayer & Cie, Terrot and Pai Lung. However, they are reluctant to disclose any technical information of the machines, and the machines are not yet introduced to the market,” said Mr Yuk. Mr Yuk noted that the by combining spinning machine and knitting machine together, fewer spinning and twisting frames are needed, and the same volumes of knitted fabrics can be produced at less energy. On the other hand, companies such as Karl Mayer, Santoni, Comez, and Runyung presented their warp knitting machines. Mr Yuk introduced that equipped in some of Karl Mayer’s machines is its Positive Patternbeam Device (PPD). It is a motor-driven delivery unit, which actively feeds yarn from the pattern beam to the knitting unit. It offers a gentle handling of yarns especially in the processing of fancy yarns at high speed automatically. It can also adjust let-off motion of different yarns’ tensions. Dyeing and finishing: energy saving and emissionreduction “The overwhelming trend for the dyeing and finishing sector is energy saving and reducing emission,” stressed Mun-lim Cheung, President of Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) at the seminar. To help dyehouses achieve that, the latest dyeing and finishing machines require advanced technology to achieve more efficient circulation, re-circulation of heat energy with better control and recuperation of heat from exhaust. He observed at the ITMA fair in Barcelona that the key features of latest machinery include higher efficiency, longer running time, less maintenance, less down time, and more savings on chemicals and dyestuffs. According to Mr Cheung, there seems to be a trend for machinery makers and chemical suppliers to co-operate, for instance, BASF and Gaston Systems, Clariant and Gaston Systems in dyeing as well as Monforts and Pulcra Chemicals. He added that the dyeing and finishing sector will use more advanced and sophisticated instrumentation, and apply higher engineering principles into workable processes such as fluid dynamics and thermodynamics. “We need new ways of thinking and practical use of new technology to existing process. Most important of all, we need pay more attention to environmental concerns, that is to reduce, recycle and reuse,” Mr Cheung concluded. Weaving: improved productivity and energy saving The latest developments in weaving machines lie in their saving in energy, high productivity / performance, flexibility, consistent fabric quality and versatility in terms of applications, underscored DrHua Tao, Instructor of Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. At ITMA 2011 in Barcelona, the weaving sector’s key suppliers, such as ITEMA Weaving, Picanol, Lindauer Dornier, Toyota, Tsudakoma, Smit, Staübli, Bonas, Grass, Van de Wiele and Jakobs Muller showcased a wide range of new weaving machines. Caption: Energy saving and reducing emission are the key focus of dyeing and finishing sector, Cheung Mun-lim notes ITEMA Weaving’s new Sultex A9500 air jet weaving machine, for instance, is equipped with a special shed geometry designed to promote a long dwell while drastically reducing air consumption, introduced DrHua. With its high performance and simplified design, the A9500 produces excellent fabric quality. The long weft insertion time and the high efficient nozzles ensure the optimum acceleration curve for any type of yarn. Among the new machines he introduced at the seminar was Lindauer Dornier’s AWS 8/J G air jet weaving machine.With 190cm nominal width at 900rpm, it is designed for high quality Jacquard fabrics. Its newly developed SyncroDrive is one of its significant components. An electric control circuit to the separate drive of the Jacquard machine replaces the cardan connection between weaving and Jacquard machines. Highlights of some exhibits At the quadrennial exhibition, textile machinery makers had flexed their technological muscles to present their latest technologies and machines. Following a show report in the previous issue, we introduce here more innovative exhibits of the show: Alliance’s Rotora dyeing machine At ITMA 2011, French piece dyeing manufacturer Alliance ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature introduced its new machine that employs the new Rotora technology. It notes that the new Rotora yarn and piece dyeing machine can help users save costs by up to 50% and can be applied for woven or knitted fabrics in many different ways such as furniture, viscose lycra, velvet and toweling. It enables users to dye yarns (cones) together with fabric on a beam in order to obtain the same color for yarn and fabric. Caption: Alliance’s new Rotora yarn and fabric dyeing machine The machine is versatile because in the same machine, it is possible for either one beam with wide fabrics or two beams with smaller fabrics or one beam with fabric and a beam with cones or two beams with cones, Alliance explains. Alliance also introduced its well-known Riviera ECO+ which allows the best performance in terms of liquor ratio. It says that many customers in Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, Brazil, Turkey are dyeing high quality viscose lycra (without creases and with a perfect surface aspect) in a liquor ratio of 1:3. DiloGroup’s MultiCard Germany-based specialist in nonwovens technologies, DiloGroup presented a complete nonwoven production line at ITMA 2011. It notes that its R&D focus is on fiber material savings, less energy consumption, increased production, higher efficiency and availability, improved ease of operation, reduced downtime for maintenance, service and cleaning, improved web mass homogeneity and better felt surface quality. The new MultiCard is a universal card that has been especially designed for operation in combination with a crosslapper. An optimum cost-performance ratio for this card is realized by using computer-aided design and analytical research. It is characterized by ease of maintenance and superior accessibility for cleaning and service work. It also has a suction and filter system designed by the “AirSystems Engineering” Caption: DiloGroup’s new MultiCard Adsale’s fruitful journey in Barcelona A team of four, comprising two editors and two marketing staffers, from Adsale Publishing had travelled to Barcelona to visit ITMA 2011. During the exhibition, we distributed our magazines, Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel (ATA Journal) and China Textile & Apparel (CTA) as well as ITMA Show Guide, at our booth. Knowing that it might be the first time for many show attendees to visit Barcelona, not only has the ITMA Show Guide provided information on the exhibition, it has also included a special section introducing Barcelona’s tourists’ hotspots and other travel information. Caption: A visitor to Adsale’s booth at ITMA 2011 The trip to ITMA 2011 was eye-widening and knowledge-gaining. We attended a number of press conferences where market leaders introduced their latest developments. We also visited more than 70 booths to get to know more about the most advanced textile technologies in all sectors of the industry. Caption: Lafer’s fountain to introduce its new waterless scouring range Caption: EddaWalraf (middle), Vice President of Marketing Spun Yan Systems of Rieter Machine Works, received the “Best Ad Award 2011” from Adsale colleagues during ITMA 2011 ITMA 2011 provided us the opportunity to interview many market leaders to gain insights into the industry’s developments. Scores of exhibitors had come up with special designs for their booths’ decoration as well as creative displays of exhibits. Uster, for instance, erected a sizeable model of its latest Quantum 3 at its stand; Lafer’s fountain to introduce its new waterless scouring range also attracted many onlookers. Of course, what truly attracted visitors to a booth was the technologies on display – the key reason behind which many visitors travelled from afar to ITMA 2011. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature department of DiloTemafa. The sound insulation of this suction and filter unit is secured by “Temafa Sound Control”. According to the company, the MultiCard working with a double doffer and a pair of condenser rolls delivers a homogeneous double web to the subsequent high speed crosslapper type DLSC. The cross profile regulation system type “Profiline CV1A” for the crosslaid web pre-compensates possible thicker edges in the needling installation. Furthermore, the DiloLayer DLSC 25/35 with a laydown width of 3.5m is equipped with the latest version of the “Webguide” system to allow the highest web infeed speeds up to 160m/min. Durst’s new Kappa 180 digital printer A specialist in industrial inkjet applications, Durst Kappa has introduced Durst Kappa 180 at the fair. The Durst Kappa 180 has been developed based on Durst’s proprietary Quadroprinthead technology and is a product of the company’s Development Center in Kufstein, Austria, aiming for “QuadroZ” to meet the textile industry’s specific requirements. At the same time, the company’s own inks (Kappa Inks) for textile printing were developed in the Durst Research Center in Lienz, Austria. The company says Durst Kappa 180 has a printing speed of more than 600sq m/hour (over 300 running meters) and outstanding printing quality (1056x600 dpi). Caption: Durst’s new Kappa 180 digital printer Through the use of water-based inks, the Durst Quadro Array technology, suitably modified for textile printing, makes it possible to print on textiles by way of a specially hardened, fray-resistant nozzle plate with a drop size of 7-21 picoliters. 6,144 jets per color produce a resolution of up to 1680 dpi, while a single automatic nozzle cleaning system ensures uninterrupted operation, the company explains. The QuadroZ Arrays print eight colors in CMYK, orange, red, blue and gray, with no modulations or density fluctuations. A key role is played here by the ink delivery system with the osmosis filtering system, which eliminates the tiny gas bubbles in the inks and ensures that the printing is constant and failure-free. According to the company, Durst Kappa 180 textile printing machine has fully automatic feeding-in and guiding facilities for textiles with a maximum printing width of 195cm and a printing blanket with an integrated washing system. It has also developed its own Kappa Inks for the piezo inkjet multipass technology. Thus, different textile fibers can be printed with environmentally friendly, water-based dispersion, reactive and acid inks using the QuadroZ Arrays. Kornit’s Allegro roll-to-roll printer An Israel-based direct-on-garment (DOG) printing solution provider, Kornitpresented its Kornit Allegro roll-to-roll printer at fair in Barcelona. Caption: Kornit Digital’s allegro According to Kornit, the Allegro roll-to-roll printer is bringing its experience and pigment inks from the garment printing industry to the fabric industry and will lead a new revolution in textile printing. It offers print speeds of up to 280msq/hr and a print resolution of 500x500dpi, allowing the market’s fastest yet highest quality prints, the company claims. In addition, the Allegro is equipped with Kornit’s built-in pre-treatment system PreT, which enables printing without the need for manual pre-treatment of any kind by applying a fixation agent automatically on press, immediately prior to the print process. As the company introduces, this odorless fixation agent binds inks to fabric at the same time as the printing, eliminating altogether the need for pre-treatment or steaming systems. Also, the PreT system has the ability to print on untreated fabrics, which saves time and costs associated with printing. Kornit presented a new line of inks, Allegro Symphony inks, as part of its roll-to-roll solution. With the addition of light magenta, light cyan and gray for an array of pastel colors, these water-based CMYK pigment inks can expand the color gamut to provide the industry’s best color density while improving color quality and the ability to print on a wide range of media, as well as giving a great hand feel to the fabric. Orizio’s single jersey JHEP circular knitting machine for sinkerless fabrics During the ITMA 2011 trade show, Orizio displayed a wide range of circular knitting machines, including the new single jersey JHFP for sinkerless fabrics, the super versatile electronic jacquard, jersey stripers, the fine gauge interlock and the super productive single jersey high speed JH/V. Caption: Orizio’s single jersey JHEP circular knitting machine for sinkerless fabrics Introduced this year, the JHFP/LC model is a one track single jersey machine for the production of jersey, jersey-elastane yarn and piqué for optimized sinkerless fabrics. Equipped with the performing Orizio LC electronic takedown with electronic cutter, pneumatic roll expulsion and a ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Textile Technology Feature brand new control system with touch screen, the JHFP is a feather in Orizio’s cap. High speed and super production are the keywords used to describe two jersey machines. One machine produces a perfect two color striping fabric and the other produces a top quality jersey fabric. The 96 feed JB2E is designed for jersey and jersey based two color striped fabrics up to four cam tracks with up to 512Mb standard memory capacity. The JH/V in 32” diameter, 28 gauge and 102 feeds can knit plain jersey and jersey with elastane yarn on one cam track and speeds up to 45rpm. Rosink’s SZ1 A Twin + HA At the show in Barcelona, Rosink, a German producer of can coilers and service machines for cot maintenance and carding flat workshops, presented a Quad Coiler in combination with the new Quad-Web-Splitting-Unit. According to the company, the Quad Coiler and Quad-Web-Splitting-Unit combination delivers outstanding sliver quality for the production of hygienic products such as cotton swabs. Caption: Rosink’s SZ1 A Twin + HA Also on display was the SZ1 A Twin + HA cot grinding machine, which was said to be the most powerful among all showcased by Rosink. The machine combines the fully automatic grinding of two top rollers at the same time and a productivity of more than 500 top rollers per hour. Uster’s Quantum 3 Uster introduced at ITMA 2011 its new Uster Quantum 3, which measures, analyzes and proposes how the yarn on the winding machines can best be tailored to the spinner’s quality and productivity needs. Uster Quantum 3 is Uster’s most advanced clearer yet, packed with future-oriented technology. Caption: Uster’s Quantum 3 It features the Smart Clearing Technology, an unbeatable combination of high-technology sensors and built-in knowledge. Powerful new capacitive, optical and foreign matter sensors are at the core of the Uster Quantum 3. In combination with powerful processing electronics, for the first time ever, the system shows the full yarn body. Then, drawing on built-in its know-how, it proposes suitable clearing limits to achieve the required quality level. ■ (Continued from “Textile Technology Feature” p32) It has recently introduced its new type SX V Jacquard machine for the production of velvet fabrics. It is equipped with 2688 hooks driven by the M6.2 three-position module. The SX V can be adapted to any type of new or existing velvet weaving machine. Besides, its UNIVAL 100 Jacquard machine with single-end control is superbly suited to the production of technical fabrics. New, smaller configurations with fewer actuators have been developed particularly for this application. The two new models can be equipped with up to 512 or 1024 actuators, complementing the previous range with configurations between 2048 and 15360 actuators. Caption: Stäubli SX V electronic jacquard machine Of particular interest to technical weavers, the new configurations facilitate production of narrower fabrics, from simple fabrics to sophisticated textiles such as multi-layers. All UNIVAL 100 models are easy to program using the JC6U colour touch-screen controller, allowing the setting and archiving of shed parameters such as shed angle adjustment, opening profile, and crossing phase difference. Van de Wiele Rug & Carpet Innovator RCI Van de Wiele’s Innovator generation of carpet weaving machines gives a boost to the carpet industry. The heart of the new developments is the Rug & Carpet Innovator in two and three rapier execution, respectively RCI02 and RCI03. The Innovator generation is characterised by an increased productivity, especially in 5m width, and a better stability. Caption: Van de Wiele’s Rug & Carpet Innovator RCI The RCI can be equipped with Smart Frames -SF- by which each ground heddle frame is driven by a separate servo-motor. Smart frames allow easy changing of different ground weave structures. The use of servomotors allows timing differences, different dwells and asymmetric motions to weave carpets with a clean back and less incorporated yarns. The new Smart Cutting Motion (SCM) with servo drive guarantees a perfect cutting. The cutting frequency as wells as the sharpening of the knife are programmable. The sefledge yarns of the Smart Edges –SE- are driven by small servomotors, placed under the cumberboard for a good accessibility and adjustment in width. The Rug & Carpet Innovator RCI03, the three rapier execution, gives 50% more production in 2/3 V. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Environmental Watch Multifaceted effort to curb pollution by Ian Holme The sustainability and green issues are no doubt the hot issues throughout the global textile supply chain. The 5th Annual RITE Group conference held in London, UK, provided an important forum for inter-disciplinary discussions on these issues. RITE (Reducing the Impact of Textiles on the Environment) is a group formed in 2007 after a landmark sustainable textiles conference organized at the University of Leeds. The RITE Group aims to provide advice and fact-based information to reduce or minimize the negative environmental effects of the production, use and disposal of textiles. It also promotes best practice for the various sub-sections of the textile industry, driving forward the sustainable and ethical production of textiles and apparel throughout the global textile supply chain. Caption: Industry professionals at the 5th Aunnual RITE Group conference During the conference, J Berrye Worsham, President and CEO of Cotton Incorporated (the US), said that cotton now accounted for only 6.2% of global pesticide sales and Cotton Incorporated was conducting science-based research programs consistent with their vision for the future sustainability of cotton. On the cotton growing front, the US has decreased its energy use by 66%, land use by 25%, irrigation water use by 49%, soil loss by 34% and greenhouse gas emissions by 33%. Tools were being developed to help cotton growers measure their sustainability on an individual basis. Besides, Paul Hulme, President of Huntsman Textile Effects (Singapore) pointed out that innovation in dyestuffs and chemicals could help to improve business as well as help consumers meet new challenges such as sustainability. Chemical innovation could impact upon the costs to be controlled e.g. processing cost 15-20%, chemicals / dyes 3-5% but could not impact on fibre cost (70%) and 8-10% labour cost. He showed how the introduction of Huntsman’s product portfolio in one mill had decreased water usage from 960,000m³ down to 360,000m³, electricity down from 2.1 to 0.8 million kW, and CO₂emissions from 428 tonnes down to 163 tonnes over a specific time period. Huntsman has introduced intelligent effects through finishing which would provide freshness, active comfort, lasting colours and easy care plus – all factors that would contribute to sustainability by decreasing the resources used in cleaning garments. On the other hand, Tim Wilson, CEO and Co-founder of Historic Futures Limited (UK), discussed the setting up of the company in 2003 which is now a recognized team of experts in supply chain traceability. It has developed String, a secure, online platform for business networks to manage and share product and process information, from raw material to finished product. Caption: Paul Hulme, President of Huntsman Textile Effects (Singapore) This system works by each organization in the supply chain using String to record information about how their products were produced. It can incorporate information on which suppliers provided raw materials, which processes were carried out and which finished products were produced. String then links the information from the complete supply chain to form a total product history from raw material to finished product. Discussing corporate water stewardship in the supply chain was Linda Hwang, Manager of Research & Innovation of Business Social Responsibility (the US). She stressed that in the 21st century, there is an increasing and inequitable demand for water and an on-going over-appropriation of this essential resource which the United Nations had termed a fundamental human right. The carbon footprint surrounding the energy cost of water extraction is now being actively considered and the assessment of the corporate water footprint is becoming widely practised. This includes the volume of water required together with the products and services used in direct operations and in the supply chain. Caption: Tim Wilson, CEO and Co-founder of Historic Futures Limited (UK) She added that around 70% of water is used in agriculture and there are risks over water supply, and thus lack of availability of water or reallocation of water resources during drought could occur. Regulation could cause suspension of the right to discharge or permit supply. A company’s impact on freshwater resources could impact adversely upon the brand image. She highlighted that the textile industry must concentrate on better practices and measure improvements as well as the impacts of its water usage and wastewater production on services and communities. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Environmental Watch Benchmark for cotton sustainability Cotton Incorporated has recently completed a comprehensive life cycle inventory and life cycle analysis of cotton products. The two-year study, managed by PE International, was designed to establish current and accurate benchmarks of potential environmental impacts across the global cottons supply chain. The peer-reviewed data and assessment methodology will help direct sustainability research efforts for the cotton industry and to aid textile decision-makers in achieving their own sustainability goals. “A life cycle inventory and life cycle analysis of this scale is a first for cotton,” said Bill Norman, Vice President of Technical Services for the National Cotton Council. “It is an example of the cotton industry’s commitment to ongoing improvement and to helping every link on the supply chain accurately measure improvement over time,” he added. The study takes a holistic and comprehensive view of the life cycle of cotton textile products. The life cycle inventory (LCI) is a quantification of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental release data associated with the production of cotton from cradle-to-gate (fiber) and manufacturing from gate-to-gate (fabric). The associated life cycle assessment (LCA) models the environmental impact of representative cotton apparel (a knit golf shirt and woven cotton trousers) from the field through a consumer care, use and disposal (cradle-to-grave). Data for the cradle-to-gate segment were collected from the three largest cotton producing countries (China, India, and the US) and reported as a global average. Similarly, the data for the textile processing phase was culled from surveys among representative mills in the four largest textile processing areas (Turkey, India, China and Latin America) and are also presented as a global average. Data for the cut-and-sew and consumer use phase were supplemented by a range of credible secondary sources. The LCA is cotton-centric, meaning it does not compare the environmental impact of cotton to competitive fibers. “The cotton LCA is about measurement, not marketing,” said Berrye Worsham, Cotton Incorporated President and CEO. “The textile industry and consumers alike are weary of competition-motivated green marketing. This project is about facts, and establishing a baseline to measure cotton’s environmental gains moving forward.” The LCI data collection and LCA modeling were spearheaded by PE International and adhere to ISO-14040 standard. The LCI data sets will be made available through such widely used databases as Ecoinvent and the US Life Cycle Inventory, as well as via a reporting tool slated for availability in early 2012. ■ AD: ADSALE PUBLISHING LIMITED

Chemical & Auxiliaries Ecotechnologies: Future for coating and lamination by Ian Holme Organized by the Belgian Textile Executives’ Association (UNITEX), the recent 6th European Coating Congress held in Ghent, Belgium proved to be a showcase for many of the developments that are emerging out of the research stage to be utilized by creative coating companies that embrace new technology to survive and grow their markets globally. The focus throughout all the presentations was on novel or innovative breakthrough technologies and especially on ecotechnologies for the textile coating and lamination industry of the future. In the opening presentation, Prof Dr Marc Van Parys, Chairman of UNITEX highlighted that the future would belong to eco-conscious coating companies. The on-going depletion of fossil-fuel resources globally is causing company managements to look at their current processing methods to evaluate where savings could be made in water, energy and chemicals and where coating technology could eliminate or substantially decrease the generation of waste products and materials. Caption: Prof Dr Marc Van Parys, UNITEX Chairman The globalization of the textile coating sector, in which Asia plays a major role, has forced coating companies in North America and Europe to embrace new coating technologies in order to move into higher added value products and emerging niche markets in order to remain competitive. Developments that provide coating companies with flexibility and versatility in coating coupled with ecology and economy have clearly added a competitive edge as well as lowering carbon footprints and decreasing costs. During the congress, a number of ecotechnologies in coating and lamination were presented. New ecotechnologies in coating The coating sector has largely moved away from solvent-based coating systems because of increasing legislation limiting the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Water-based coating technology is now under severe pressures because of the spiralling costs for water and energy for drying and curing. The removal of the stenter and of hot air curing (high temperature curing) remains an option, but this goal required the development of new coating chemicals and alternative low temperature or cold curing technologies. Powder coating is effective for some coated products but there is now increasing interest in hotmelt technology, particularly where lower temperatures could be used. An emerging technology with considerable potential for surface coating was ultraviolet (UV) coating. Using an appropriate photoinitiator for the chosen monomer UV curing leads to rapid curing at room temperature, allowing high production speeds to be attained. However, at present, there are some limitations in respect of the coating thickness because of the restricted penetration of UV radiation. Electron beam coating does not suffer as much from this limitation and does not require a photoinitiator because of the higher energy level. Such a system has the potential for very high curing rates and hence very high production speeds – but a typical system is said to cost well over 600,000 euros. UV coating equipment was much less expensive but could not yet match the deeper penetration achievable with electron beam curing systems. Plasma technology offers considerable potential for textile coating from a number of points of view. Plasma pretreatment of textile materials prior to coating could be utilized to functionalise the fibre surface, introducing new chemical groups that could bond covalently with coating chemicals. This could lead to greater coating adhesion, higher peel strength, and enhanced durability to abrasion and wear, an important factor for some technical textiles. Plasma pretreatment could also remove surface impurities and increase the Caption: The image above shows latest coating products will be developed towards enhancing flexibility and versatility, while taking ecology and economy into account ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Chemical & Auxiliaries critical surface tension of the fibre surface, thereby extending the range of coating chemicals that could wet, spread and penetrate within the textile structure and increasing mechanical interlocking of the coating layer. In effect plasma pretreatment worked as a smart primer for subsequent coating. The use of plasma technology for coating involved the injection of chemicals (e.g. as aerosols) into the plasma field through which the fabric is passed. This led to chemical vapour deposition (CVD) processes resulting in a surface coating of the textile material. Such plasma treatments can be carried out under atmospheric pressure with continuous in-line processing. Other treatments required the use of low pressure plasma machines in which the material was processed from roll to roll through the plasma field enclosed within a closed plasma machine. Such batchwise treatments are usually conducted at a slower production speed, but the textile coater could coat textile materials either at very low pressure in air or an alternative gas could be introduced into the closed system, opening up the opportunities for the production of innovative coatings of high added value using novel coating chemicals. Cold plasma coating treatments are clearly useful for temperature-sensitive fibres that could be prone to yellowing or degradation. Latest developments in coating Other technologies that were discussed are the RST (Reactive Surface Technology) of Alexium which utilizes microwave curing of surface coatings and magnetron sputter coating which leads to a physical vapour deposition (PVD) surface coating. The latter can be utilized with metals, metal oxides or metal nitrides to build up nanolayers on the surface of the textile material. The possibility of applying coating chemicals to textiles via digital inkjet application technology would appear to offer considerable potential for the application of single-sided or double-sided surface coatings. However the coating formulation must be capable of being jetted onto the textile material, and this approach is still at the development stage. Continuous inkjet application will require print-heads that provide uniform coverage, but also could open up other opportunities for localized application of coatings in the form of specific designs or motifs according to the nature of the end use. Piezo and valve-jet print head applications could be used for coating textiles. In terms of coating chemicals, there are many avenues currently being explored at the research and development stage. Conductive polymers are being studied for use in antistatic and conductive coating applications. Sol-gel technology has opened up the area of ceramic coatings which could be utilised to produce barrier coatings and also coatings with greater abrasion resistance for many technical and protective textile materials. Other developments are proceeding with superabsorbent polymers which could be used to provide hydrogels for medical end uses, for example, drug delivery systems. The use of comb polymers and dendrimers (which are hyperbranched polymer structures) offer interesting opportunities for innovative surface coatings. Other areas of polymer chemistry that need to be developed for textile coating are the use of interpenetrating polymer networks, self-stratification polymers and self-healing polymers. Another area of considerable interest for ballistic protection is the phenomenon of shear-thickening fluids that thicken instantaneously upon impact to provide greater protection. Caption: Smith & Nephew’s Acticoat antimicrobial barrier dressings contain Silcryst nanocrystals Microencapsulation systems are well-established and the technology can be enhanced by incorporating a second highly protective strong shell surrounding the core material i.e. a double shell structure. Nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes are continuing to be developed for textile coating but there are still problems in preventing agglomeration of nanoparticles in coating formulations in order to preserve the property enhancements of nano-scaled materials which are adversely affected by agglomeration. Superhydrophobic coatings may be achieved through coatings with a micro-nano rough surface texture. This may be produced using fluorocarbon technology, nanoparticles, and also via comb and dendritic polymer technology. The use of superhydrophobic coatings form the basis for self-cleaning textile materials in which soils and stains may be washed off by rain or hosing down with water. Clearly self-cleaning textile materials have a myriad of end-use applications in outdoor technical textiles, and also in filtration end uses. However stains, under pressure, can be more difficult to remove and hybrid coatings that provide superhydrophobicity, but also incorporate a stain-release performance could lead to even higher levels of functional performance. Another approach that could introduce more eco-friendly coating formulations is the work being carried out on bio-based and biodegradable polymers for coating and for lamination. Incorporating such materials into coated textiles via cold curing techniques would open up new levels of ecotechnology for textile coating, and hopefully lead to coated textiles that would biodegrade more rapidly in landfill and maybe could also be used for biogas generation. Reactive hotmelts are solid at room temperature and fluid at the melt temperature. On cooling they solidify to form an immediate, strong and durable bond without immediate molecular change. Such products are used for lamination and have been termed neoteric adhesives. The other form of neoteric adhesive which is of increasing interest for lamination is reactive PUR hotmelts which are based upon moisture-curable polyurethanes. These have to be produced on special equipment and no melting is possible after the molecular change that takes place over time due to the reaction with moisture. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Nonwovens/Technical Textiles Automotive fabric evolves toward recycling and resources saving by Adrian Wilson Leading car manufacturers including Ford, General Motors, Mitsubishi and Toyota are already taking advantage of the properties of the vertically lapped nonwoven fabrics which can be produced with the technology of Australian company V-Lap. At this year’s ITMA show in Barcelona, Spain, the company demonstrated a fully-operational pilot line making these new products.V-Lap Managing Director Jason Cooper said: “Many companies are excited about the potential of vertically-lapped products. Their key advantage is the true vertical orientation of the fibers which provides a more uniform product and greater resilience and recovery from compression. And most importantly, it allows for reduced weight at a comparable thickness or sound acoustic rating.” Caption: Jason Cooper of V-LAp at ITMA 2011 Car manufacturers are looking to alternative energies and smaller cars for reduced fuel usage, but shedding the weight of components while at achieving the same performance level can be just as critical, Mr Cooper adds. “The ability to finetune the products makes them ideal for applications such as door insulators, headliner pads and base materials, under-carpet insulators and hood and truck liners.” The V-Lap vertical lapping system has been designed to ensure modest capital costs and low energy consumption and the line running at ITMA consisted of a chute feed tower with a compact nonwoven card, an incline conveyor and a 500mm wide vertical lapping unit with an electric thermobond oven. Powder binders for automotive carpet Also targeting the automotive sector with new materials at ITMA was French technology specialist Fibroline. It has adapted its DPreg process for the automotive carpet sector – which uses an estimated 200sqm of carpet annually. Automotive carpets are usually made with polyester nonwovens, impregnated and bonded with a latex coating on the back. The latex binder creates an end-product with high abrasion resistance, mouldability and stiffness, but the process for applying it is very energy intensive and creates both pollutants and wastewater. The latex coating also prevents the product from being recycled. The DPreg process replaces latex with powder binders that are a waste by-product from the coatings industry, modified with special additives to be suitable for the automotive sector. As a consequence, the drying stage – a traditional bottleneck in the production line – can be eliminated and the duration of the thermal fixation step is also drastically reduced. The binder content itself can be reduced by 50%, leading to a significant weight reduction for a same-performance product. The DPreg process also allows the fibres to be reopened, either at end-of-life or as production waste, and employed in low-cost nonwovens for carpet backing or insulation. The powder binder is non-polluting and can be separated out in the tearing process. Ford’s sustainable strategy Recycling and reducing energy and raw materials during manufacturing are without doubt the key drivers for new automotive fabric developments right now. Ford, for example, is now using recycled cotton, such as post-consumer denim jeans, in the interior of its 2012 Focus as part of carpet backing and sound absorption material. Carrie Majeske, the auto group’s Product Sustainability Manager said: “One of our key goals is to use more recycled or renewable materials without compromising performance or durability. Recycled content is a way to divert waste from landfills and reduce the impact of using virgin material.” Ford’s ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ commitment is part of the company’s broader global sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint while at the same time accelerating the development of advanced, fuel-efficient vehicle technologies around the world. Over the past few years, Ford has concentrated on increasing the use of non-metal recycled and bio-based materials, including soy foam seat cushions, recycled resins for under-body systems, recycled yarns on seat covers and natural fiber plastic for interior components. The company says its vehicles continue to become more eco-friendly through the creative use of renewable and recycled materials. “The good news is these jeans did not end up in a landfill, nor ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Nonwovens/Technical Textiles did we use the water, fertiliser and land to grow virgin cotton,” said Majeske. The amount of post-consumer cotton from blue jeans used in a vehicle amounts to around two pairs of average-sized American jeans, based on kg of cotton used per meter of denim and the meters of denim used to make a pair of jeans. “Great fuel economy is our first priority for reducing the vehicle’s impact on the environment,” said Majeske. “As we deliver that, we also seek to use materials inside a vehicle that reduce the environmental impact as well.” Lutraflor’s latest automotive carpet range During 2011, Freudenberg – as the world’s leading manufacturer of nonwovens – has also been ramping up its production of Lutraflor, its latest range for automotive carpets. Designed to respond to the drive to weight reduction, competitive pricing and sustainable products in the automotive carpets market, Lutraflor’s sandwich construction consists of 100% recycled staple fibers and spunbond nonwovens, and is Latex free. The material, which is engineered to offer superior abrasion performance, can be used for full floor moulded carpets and throw-in mats, as well as for the cabin and door trim. Caption: Fiber structure of Freudenberg’s Lutraflor Lutradur ECO, meanwhile, incorporates all the key attributes of Freudenberg’s established Lutradurproduct – such as superior dimensional stability and mould and mildew-resistance– but is made from 100% recycled polyester. The spunbond nonwoven is made from post-consumer recycled polymer chips from reclaimed plastic bottles and is used for tufted automotive carpets, as well as in the building and construction industry. Lutradur PET Fine Denier completes the portfolio. The specific technology of Lutradur Fine Denier – a combination of polymers – allows highly customized solutions for various demanding applications. Borgers LowMass Another leading German manufacturer of automotive fabrics is Borgers. This company’s LowMass range features products that are not only completely, or for the greater part, recyclable, but also consist of up to 90% recycled materials to start with – such as shredded cotton or PET bottle fibers. Nonwovens are the basis of all Borgers products, manufactured from both natural fibers such as cotton, jute and kenaf and synthetics, mostly from recycled raw materials. The type of process and the composition of the fiber mix are modified to make products which match a specific application, and in respect of their functionality, the company generally distinguishes between materials for absorbers, trim and carrier components and decor materials. Effective insulation materials are essential for the minimization of noise in a vehicle and the company’s materials not only provide improved acoustics, but also a weight reduction compared to traditional solutions based on heavy layers. The implementation of up-to-date manufacturing processes has also compensated for the previous disadvantages of textile production compared to foam, the company says. Textile undershield Borgers LowMass undershield is used as a replacement for a heavy PVC layer applied to the floor panel or for synthetic assembly parts. In addition to a considerable reduction in weight at a comparable price to competing products, its other considerable advantages include: - A reduction of the drag coefficient value. - Improved noise insulation. - Reduced spray formation when driving in rain. - Clearly optimized suitability for recycling and easy dismantling. - Reduced emissions during manufacture. - Waste-free production due to the direct feeding of waste remnants back into the manufacturing process (closed loop). Propylat Trim is also employed in door and instrument panels as well as for the back panels in the passenger compartments of convertibles. Carrier components – especially load floors in luggage compartments – must withstand a lot of strain. Consequently the demands on the materials, from which these components are manufactured is very high. Caption: Layering of nonwovens prior to condensing at Borgers in Germany In response to this, Borgers has developed LowMass products that are distinguished by their high rigidity, but are considerably lighter than competitive products due, for example, to a paper honeycomb sandwich construction. For this reason they make an important contribution to the reduction of fleet consumption and the protection of the environment. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report Wujin textile industry consolidates joint development with professional market 武進紡織強化與專業市場聯動發展 by Staff Reporter Wujin, Changzhou City (常州市武進區) is situated at the center of Yangtze River Delta (長江三角洲) and is only 100km from Shanghai (上海), Nanjing (南京) and Hangzhou (杭州). Covering 1,266 sq km and populated with 1.60 million inhabitants, it governs six streets, 14 towns and one national-level export processing area as well as two provincial level development areas. In 2010, Wujin’s GDP, financial revenue and gross value of industrial output reached RMB116.4 billion, RMB25.55 billion and RMB33.41 billion respectively, indicating its strong comprehensive strength in China. At the end of 2010, there were 1,500 registered textile enterprises and over 1,000 workshops, with the gross value of industrial output at RMB30 billion. Wujin produces diversified products, ranging from yarn, grey fabric, colored woven fabric, denim, printed and dyed fabric and knitted fabric, to wool fabric, apparel, accessory, automotive textile and weaving machinery. Product Output Year-on-year growth (%) Yarn 86,900t 8.5 Fabric 898 million m 20.3 Apparel 22.02 million pieces 22.7 Caption: Wujin’s output of main textiles in 2010 As the core of the Wujin’s textile industry, Hutang Town (湖塘鎮) is the region where 70% of the district’s textile industry congregates. In 2010, there were more than 1,000 textile printing and dyeing enterprises in Hutang’s textile industry, including 238 above-size enterprises, which reached the gross value of industrial output of RMB11.95 billion, sales income of RMB11.64 billion and employed 17,000 workers. Its textile sector makes up 60% of the town’s entire economy. Hutang’s textile industry has formed its complete textile supply chain from spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing to apparel production, with its main products such as corduroy, denim and colored woven fabric. The town has produced a number of enterprises and brands, such as Jiangsu Xinguang (江蘇新光), Haohua Shaluo (浩華紗羅), Ding Gua Gua (頂呱呱), Mahang Yarn-dyed Fabric (馬杭色紡), Yisida (伊思達), Zhongheng Dyeing and Finishing (眾恒染整). Weaving industry’s remarkable advantage Hutang Town has won famous titles such as “Famous Weaving Town of China” (“中國織造名鎮”), “Textile Fabric Town of China” (“中國紡織面料之都”), “Knitted Fabric Base of China” (“中國針織面料基地”), which have reflected its undoubted capacity in the weaving industry. Hutang’s textile industry is characterized by its pure colored cotton weaving. Its main products include colored woven fabric, denim and corduroy. Statistics of Hutang’s Enterprise Management Office of Hutang revealed that the town produces 30% of colored woven fabric, 20% of denim and 28% of corduroy in China. It is the largest production base and trade market of colored woven fabric in China. 85% of Hutang’s products are sold in 20 countries and regions. However, the R&D capacity of Hutang’s textile enterprises is relatively weak because it is mainly driven by small- to middle-sized enterprises. Therefore, Hutang’s weaving industry remains at low level in terms of grades and variety of products; it is also lagging behind in variety of raw materials, structure of yarns, structure of textiles, product appearance and functionalities. Caption: Hutang’s textile industry is famous for its colored cotton yarn Jiangsu Yanghu Textile Group (江蘇陽湖紡織集團) is a successful example in modification and upgrading of product structure. The group’s spokensperson Jiang Weize (蔣偉澤) said: “We used to manufacture basic products, such as pure cotton yarn, grey fabric under the Yanghu brand (陽湖) at very low profit in early years. Now the rise of labor costs and raw materials prices increases our operation costs, so we have decided to transform into the business of the printed and dyed fabric as well as finishing with higher additional value and gradually eliminate the low-profit business.” ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report Newly-Industrialized Cities Because of that, Yanghu Group has imported two dyeing machines, two rotary screen printing machines, one flat screen printing machine, bobbin dyeing machine and finishing machine for to improve its product grading and business capacity. China’s largest producer of automotive textiles Jiangsu Kuangda Group (江蘇曠達集團) will invest RMB343 million for technical advancement and productivity extension for increasing market demand. It will import overseas advanced air-jet weaving machines, rapier weaving machines, tricot machines, weft knitting machines, finishing equipment in total of 105 sets, and will purchase domestic advanced warping machines and blanket shrinking machines in total of 3 sets. After the project is completed, its productivity will have extra 8,200t differential colored fiber and 8.23 million m of high-grade fabric for automotive decoration and its output value will increase by RMB 460 million. Wujin’s “12th Five-year Plan” (十二五發展規劃) proposes more extension of textile industrial supply chain and faster formation of industrial chain of end products such as garments, shoes and hats, home textiles and industrial textiles. To improve the industry’s quality and quantity, Hutang Town has designed a unique development mode of “processing plus branding and marketing” to develop its garment industry through the establishment of its textile industrial park and Hutang Textile City (湖塘紡織城), and integration of social resources. To achieve that, measures are being carried out, including encouraging development of garment industry by joint venture, processing, cooperation and OEM; improving grade of textile fabrics by relocation and reconstruction of textile, dyeing and finishing enterprises, introduction of advanced equipment; and encouraging enterprises to participate in overseas exhibitions. Caption: Opening of Hutang Textile City In recent year, Changzhou Jiabao (常州嘉寶) has developed quickly in Hutang. The company mainly manufactures high-end fashionable garments for women aged 20-35. According to the company, the financial tsunami in 2008 propelled Jiabao to modify its OEM production mode and establish its independent brands. It pays attention to the high-end market of female customers and obtains new development opportunities. “From the east coast to the west coast of the US, Jiabao’s products appear anywhere in Macy’s, the largest department store in the US; in Paris Fashion Festival, Milan Fashion Show; many models wear the Jiabao’s garments and show them on the catwalk,” said Jiabao President, Shen Xiali (公司董事長沈小利). Joint development between professional market and production base The scale of Wujin’s knitwear industry is small compared with its weaving industry, with knitting and weaving enterprises as the majority. Jiangsu Zhongheng (江蘇眾恒) successfully launched knitted denim and formulated national industrial standard of its series of product in 2007 and set up an innovative benchmark in Wujin’s knitting industry. As Zhongheng introduced, the knitted denim has characteristics of woven denim and knitwear: delicacy, clear vein, soft handle, high elasticity and permeability. It was mainly sold to the overseas markets including Europe, the US and Japan. The domestic demand for this product is gradually releasing. The sales volume of Zhongheng knitted denim hit 16,000t during January to November of 2011. Caption: Zhongheng’s knitted denim factory Ding Gua Gua Colored Cotton (頂呱呱彩棉), a representative enterprise of Wujin’s knitted apparel industry and a subsidiary of Donghua Textile Group (東華紡織集團), was China’s first company professionally engaged in R&D on colored cotton and mass production of colored cotton products. The largest supplier of domestic colored cotton products owns the famous Chinese trademark of “Ding Gua Gua” (“頂瓜瓜”) and produces 500 products in eight categories including T shirts, sweaters, trousers, skirts, socks, underwear, bra and home textile. Karl Mayer is one of the well-known firms in Wujin’s knitwear industry. There are some 500 advanced warp knitting machines and warping machines in the industry, and they are mainly purchased from Karl Mayer. “Wujin production base is the largest one except our headquarters in Germany. China is also the most important market of Karl Mayer and purchases 70% products from Karl Mayer,” said Yang Zengxin, General Manager of Karl Mayer China Company (卡爾邁耶中國公司總經理楊增興). “Nearly all warp knitting industrial groups of China, such as Shantou (汕頭)and Chaoyang (潮陽) Haining, Zhejiang (浙江海寧); Changshu, Jiangsu (江蘇常熟) and Fujian Changle (福建長寧), are our major markets. Karl Mayer has won recognition among Wujin’s local knitting enterprises.” Hutang Textile Market is Wujin’s largest textile market, while Hutang Textile Science & Technology Development Center is a research institute. But both of them perform as the industry’s service platform, witnessing and participating in transformation and upgrading of Hutang’s textile industry. Hutang Textile Market, positioned as a “large-scale comprehensive textile professional market”, mainly operates products such as cotton yarn, textile fabric, curtain, and home textile fabric. Now it has 2,200 firms, 4,000 shops and 12,000 employees. The market’s turnover during January to September 2011 is RMB14.15 billion, up by 28% year on year. It is estimated that the turnover will reach RMB18 billion. Before Hutang Textile Market was opened, a lack of professional market had hampered the development of local textile industry despite Hutang’s outstanding industrial conditions. A professional market relies on the industry, and the development of the industry is driven by professional market. Hutang Textile Market promotes the growth of the local textile industry and local economy, and also plays a great role in cultivating textile brands. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report New materials and testing technology: Foundation for hi-tech development 研發新材料和檢測控制技術是發展高新技術的基礎 by Yang Chaoyu The global new material market is rapidly expanding along with the prosperous development of the manufacturing industry and high-tech industry. A forecast indicates that its scale exceeded US$800 billion at the end of 2010. Professor Tang Jianmao, Director of Consultation Department of Chinese Materials Research Society (中國材料研究學會諮詢部主任唐見茂教授), said: “New materials are involved with advanced technology. The development level of new materials reflects a country’s technical development level and its comprehensive strength – they support economic development and national defense modernization.” The development of new material technology will provide a solid foundation for a new chapter of technological and industrial revolution. In the seven industries listed in the “Decision of the State Council on Accelerating Cultivation and Development of Strategic Emerging Industries” (“國務院關於加快培育和發展戰略性新興產業的決定”), new materials industry ranks sixth. It states that the new materials industry will proactively develop rare earth functional materials, high-performance membrane materials, specialty glass, functional ceramics, semi-conductor lighting materials and other new functional materials; it will also actively develop high-quality specialty steel, new type alloy materials, engineering plastics and other advanced structural materials; it will also improve the development level of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyethylene fiber with ultra high molecular weight, other high-performance fibers and their compound materials; it will also carry out research of nanometer, superconductor, intellectual and other basic materials. Among the new materials selected for development, most are related to the textile industry - this provides a huge room for advancement for the textile industry. Caption: New materials bring new opportunities for the Chinese textile industry In fact, the textile industry is the convergence point where biological technology, nanotechnology, information technology, new energy, new materials and high-end equipment manufactures meet. New textile materials are bound to be created as a result of application of advanced technologies. Driven by high technology, new materials will definitely increase the vitality of the industry. Development and manufacture of new materials Discussions have been focused on how the Chinese textile industry is to be reconstructed involving high technologies to meet the domestic and overseas processing demands. In terms of development, manufacture, industrialization and application of new materials, China’s textile industry has remarkable achievements. For example, the new materials, carbon fiber, aramid fiber 1313, polysulfonamide, polyethylene with ultra high molecular weight, polyphenylene sulfide, basalt fiber and other high-performance fibers, and natural fibers such as bamboo pulp fiber, hemp pulp fiber, have been industrialized. And most technologies and products can reach the international advanced level. Aramid fiber 1414 and advanced solvent method cellulose fiber have obtained achievements in pilot plant test. Their industrialization technology is still in the R&D stage, and is believed to be realized in near future. In addition, the new type polyester PTT resin has passed pilot plant test, while fiber production, processing as well as product development have been industrialized. The post-finishing of fabric is developed from single functional finishing such as anti-bacterial, anti-crinkle, to multi-functional finishing for improving the values of textiles. As technology develops, the applications are gradually extended to electronics, aviation, construction and other industrial fields from the traditional consumption fields such as clothing and home textiles. However, the general level of “Made in China” in the new materials industry is still under development compared with international level. Even though China is a leader in the output of many basic materials and industrial products, its high-performance materials, core parts and critical equipment are still imported. Besides the textile industry, the R&D of new materials in other industries has started. Compared with other emerging industries, ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report China’s new material industry in the textile sector is scattered. China’s industrial development is characterized by repetitive construction in the same field, with only a few leading large-scale enterprises who have technical advantages. And the same applies to the new materials industry. To resolve this problem, policy support, scientific development and resource optimization are required. Progress of industrial applications At present, the application of textile new materials has achieved a certain level of progress in China. Chinese synthetic materials have been used in the construction of Qinghai-Tibet Railway (青藏鐵路) to solve such problems as land crack, frozen soil, heat reservation and anti-penetration on the plateau. The environmentally-friendly filtration materials developed with aramid fiber, polyphenylene sulfide and other high-performance materials can significantly improve the dust emission efficiency of thermal power generation. They can also recycle the rare metals from residues, as a result, they have created higher economic benefits. The lightweight, high-intensity and high-performance composite materials meet the demand in the field of aviation, aerospace and new energy, gradually replace part of traditional steels and promote low-carbon development. The products for medical use, such as disposable operation gowns and surgical masks with high anti-virus performance, effectively reduce the probability of cross-infection and ensure people’s health and safety. The disposable diapers (pants) for babies and the elderly, women’s sanitary napkins, towels, wet tissues and other sanitary products greatly improve people’s living quality. In addition, the progress of new materials in the field of high-end applications is truly inspiring. Space suit is a typical example of the application of new materials. It weighs about 120kg and costs RMB 30 million (about US$4.7 million). It can provide appropriate air pressure, sufficient oxygen supply, comfortable temperature and humidity when the astronaut moves outside the spacecraft; it has sufficient strength for preventing astronaut from getting injured by radiation, meteoroid and space debris, and ensures working ability of astronaut. Space suit can also provide reliable working safeguard and remote measurement communication safeguard. An astronaut’s gloves are very thick and look like boxing gloves. The gloves use special heat insulation plastic materials and can bear the temperature as high as 100°C. Their fingertips have only one air-tight layer so as to protect the sense of touch. There are two vacuum heat insulation layers on the back of finger. The grained plastic materials at the center of hand are for anti-slipping. The gloves can hold a matter like a 25mm pencil and the foldable heat protection cover at the back of hand is used for covering fingers to improve heat protection capacity and In developing new materials, 12th Five-year Plan focuses on: • Strengthening research on fundamental theories and advanced technologies in fiber material processing, spinning and weaving processing, printing and dyeing processing, intellectual textiles, apparels and manufacture of textile machinery • Enhancing research, development and innovation on textile and fiber materials, and developing a batch of high-performance chemical synthesized fiber engineering materials at internationally advanced level; actively developing ultra-simulation and various functional fibers, using animals, plants, minerals and natural biochemical materials to develop biomass fiber to enhance sustainability • Improving research and development of processing technologies and equipment for new type spinning, new type weaving, special weaving, weaving of wide and heavy-duty textiles; accelerating research, promotion and application of high machine number and forming weaving, double layer with warp and woof woven bi-layer and multi-layer composite weaving, jacquard weaving and other knitting technologies, non-woven and composite technology; • Strengthening research and promotion on high-efficient short-flow pre-treatment technology, no-water or less water printing and dyeing technology and functional post-finishing technology; greatly developing technical textiles, personal textiles, green and environment-friendly textiles, intellectual textiles and other value-added textiles AD: EPIC ENTERPRISES, INC ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

China Report Caption: New functional textile materials can enrich our lives on many levels flexibility of fingers’ joint. Astronaut’s space suit has to be heat-insulated by vacuum shielding, and all textiles have to be combined by several weaving techniques to meet requirements of intensity. Space suit consists of six layers: the comfortable layer woven with cotton fabric with special anti-static treatment, rubber-made backup air-tight layer, main air-tight layer composed with composite joints, restriction layer made of polyester fabric, heat insulation layer to realize heat insulation by thermal reflection, and the external protection layer. There are seven layers in the body part; the bag is the thickest with 20 layers. Astronants may not survive in the space without new textile materials . Many people are fond of the mascot Haibao (吉祥物海寶) of World Expo in Shanghai (世博會), especially its lamination property at night, which is made of a new functional fiber. This energy-storing multi-color luminous fiber is woven on the base of polyester fiber, chinlon or polypropylene fiber and added rare earth nano auxiliaries based on a special spinning process. This fiber can maintain its shininess for more than 10 hours after absorbing visible light for 10 minutes. It is unnecessary for the fiber to be dyed, which makes it eco-friendly. This value-added fiber has entered the stage of industrialization and can be widely used in the field of daily life, national defense and so on. New materials enrich people’s lives Nanotechnology gives great support to the development of functional textile materials. The advantage of nanotechnology is to remove large amount of waste. The new materials have the following functions: waterproof, anti-pollution, moisture permeability, radiation of far-infrared, bulletproof, anti-ultraviolet, anti-bacterial, inflammation resistant, anti-static and so on. At present, the newest achievements for manufacturing nanofibers with electrostatic spinning have been introduced to the market. This simple technology can carry out micro-control to fiber structure and modify internal components or combination manner of fiber. In addition, nanometer fiber with twisting structure can be applied in micro-electronic appliance, senior optical material and drug delivery. Development of low-carbon and ecological weaving materials is popular among people who pay more attention to the environment. In the face of insufficiency of resources, new natural fibers will become the key development direction in the future. The Agricultural Machinery Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences (中國熱帶農業科學院農業機械研究所) was said to have developed pineapple leaf fiber, which has excellent anti-bacterial performance against staphylococcus aureus and colon bacillus. The stockings, towels, underwear, mats and other products made of natural pineapple leaves are being sold in the market. They can meet the demand for environmental protection and health, and can also create considerable social benefits and economic benefits. Test control technology: quality guarantee for new materials Development of new materials involves high investment, high technology, high risk, high quality and high output. In the course of production of new materials, manufacturing equipment, testing equipment and quality control technology which reach the international level must be used to ensure product quality. For example, the QMS system developed by German Mahlo (德國瑪諾) is a typical category. QMS quality test control system is widely used for nonwoven fabric production line, wallpaper production line, film extrusion production line, extrusion coating production line, carpet coating, rubber roller, PVC coating, artificial leather production line, label, sticker, drug coating and other base material production lines and implements test and control to gram weight per square meter, coating volume, water content, thickness, luster and other quality parameters so as to improve and stabilize product quality, save raw materials and reduce production costs. In raw material testing, for raw materials are foundation of quality of textiles, attention should be paid to cotton HVI testing system, wool fineness and distribution testing, yarn evenness CCD testing technology, chemical fiber filament dynamic thermal contraction testing system, textile style and wear performance testing, and allow them to play a great role in the application of new materials. More things will be done in green textile quality testing and evaluation technology, functional textile testing technology and methods for meeting higher environmental requirements. Different from traditional processes, production of high-tech products requires test control technologies. For their good and stable quality, high-tech equipment and pre-arranged production plans are necessary. Production of new materials, as well as quality control technologies will be a technology-intensive industry in the future. ■ Yang Chaoyu is an engineer and a member of China Textile Engineering Society, China Association for Standardization and China Association for Science and Technology. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Retail Scene Combining neuroscience with market research Researcher Diana Derval, Founder and President of DervalResearch, has conducted investigations which have uncovered evidence of the profound and lasting influence of prenatal exposure to hormones - particularly sex hormones - on people’s likes and dislikes, their sensory reactions to the world around them, and the decisions they make. Prof Derval has made this research accessible and understandable in her acclaimed book, “The Right Sensory Mix: Targeting Consumer Product Development Scientifically”, which has been making waves not only in the field of neuroscience, but also in the marketing world. DervalResearch has shed light on the preferences of testosterone-driven women, estrogen-driven women, and a range of other “gender polymorphisms” - and the company has also devised a way to segment and predict consumers based on their “gender polymorphisms” with the proprietary Hormonal Quotient (HQ) profiles, which can be determined with a simple test anyone can take. The company also created a series of geographical research tools to help global brands zero in on their target consumers’ preferences. For instance, its series of Sensory GeoMaps pinpoint the sensory perceptions of consumers in local markets. “We have found that sensory perception varies between geographical areas,” said Prof Derval. “For example, Chinese people will be mainly nearsighted and be relaxed by short-wave colors like blue, whereas Australians are almost all farsighted and are relaxed by long-wave colors like red. To help companies adapt their products and services to each country, or decide which emerging market they should focus most of their efforts on, we have built Sensory GeoMaps for over 50 countries, detailing the sensory perceptions of consumers in each area.” Her new approach to marketing has been adopted by a wide range of industries - food and beverage, electronics, luxury items, fashion, cosmetics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, advertising, leisure, and tourism. Giordano opens 200th Middle East store Hong Kong-headquartered apparel retailer Giordano has officially opened its 200th Middle East store at Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi. Having been operating in the Middle East for 18 years, it is now on track to open 250 stores by 2015. During 2011, 16 new Giordano stores will open across the Gulf. As well as the new store in Abu Dhabi and an additional outlet in Kuwait, the company is expanding rapidly across Saudi Arabia, with 11 new stores opened in the Kingdom in the year to date, and three more set to launch before year end. Caption: Giordano’s 200th Middle East store Complementing the retailer’s expansion plan is a large scale refurbishment programme across existing outlets in Kuwait, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia, with investments in new stores and renovations reaching AED15 million in 2011. “Since our first regional store opened in Burjuman in 1993, we have continued to grow and reaching our 200th store landmark this year is an indication of our strength and success in the market. Our growth is all due to valued customers who have continuously supported our brand and our products,” said Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director at Giordano Middle East. J. C. Penney Company, Inc. appoints new president Focusing on redefining the department store at the moment, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. announced that Michael R. Francis has been named President of the company. Mr Francis, 48, was most recently a senior executive at Target Corporation. In his new position at J. C. Penney, he will be responsible for all merchandising, marketing, planning and allocation, and product development and sourcing functions. He will report to incoming jcpenney Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson. With more than 25 years of merchandising and marketing experience, Mr Francis spent most of his career at Target, which he helped transform into the nation’s leading upscale discount store, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since 2008. Caption: Michael R. Francis Mr Johnson said: “He is an extremely talented executive with the vision and courage to re-imagine the department store experience. His ability to innovate and deep understanding of the industry will be invaluable as we set out to transform jcpenney into America’s favorite store.” Reliance Brands to join hands with Kenneth Cole Kenneth Cole Productions Inc and Reliance Brands Limited, announced that they have signed a licensing agreement in India for retail and premium wholesale distribution. The agreement will include the opening of five stores over the next three years, with plans to open an additional 20 stores in the following five years. The launch will initially include the opening of dual gender retail stores in major cities across India. Categories will include men’s and women’s footwear, clothing and accessories under the Kenneth Cole New York and the Kenneth Cole Reaction labels. Paul Blum CEO, Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. said, “India promises substantial growth potential for our brand, the country’s economy is growing quickly and development is strong which is why Kenneth and I want to create a presence in India now.” ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Cashmere reaffirms its luxurious status The recent Cashmere World 2011 covered every aspect of the cashmere industry’s supply chain, from raw material suppliers, through textile producers, machinery manufacturers, companies providing testing and quality control and those manufacturing finished products for the retail market. Michael Duck, Executive Vice President of UBM Asia Ltd, explained that garments made from cashmere are extremely light, yet extraordinarily warm and hard wearing. Although the industry was comparatively small, the product itself, cashmere, was widely known and held in high regard as a true luxury textile. “The majority of cashmere raw material comes from northern China so having this important event in Beijing was a practical choice,” he said. Also, a Sino-Italian Exchange Seminar for the Cashmere Industry was held for the first time to strengthen and deepen the collaboration between the two countries. In the three show days, there were more than 20 experts speaking in the forum and conferences with topics including rarity and luxury of cashmere, market trends, opportunities and risks as well as market potential in emerging countries. Hong Kong presents creativity Interstoff Asia Essential was held in Hong Kong, occupying 9,000sqm of trade space with 207 participating exhibitors from 11 countries and regions including Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, Mongolia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. There were also special country and region pavilions from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Products ranged from high quality cashmere, denim and wool to eco textiles, functional fabrics and accessories, among others. Caption: Catwalk at the fashion show named “Asian Design meets Lenzing Fiber Walk” Meanwhile, the Designer Studio showcased a range of international talent including award winners and their textile designs from Texprint, a UK textile competition; winning pieces from the EcoChic Design award by Redress, formerly Green2greener; and outfits designed by graduating students from the Hong Kong Design Institute. While “Fabrics to Fashion Walk”presented colorful collection designed by fashion students from Caritas Bianchi College of Careers who interpreted next season’s palette using exhibitors’ fabrics, the debut “Asian Design meets Lenzing Fiber Walk”displayed ready-to-wear collections designed by Ming Yan (China), Rose Chiu and Eric Wong (Hong Kong), HidenobuYasui (Japan), VackYuun Hyun (Korea) and Baron Lee (Taiwan). Technical textiles on rise in India Techtextil India 2011 offered a broad range of products including fibers, yarns, woven fabrics, laid webs, braidings, knitted fabrics, nonwovens to coated textiles, composites, bondtec, machinery andaccessories. Technical textiles are the emerging area for investment in India. The Technical textiles industry in India is a value added industry which has numerous end use applications in the areas of economic activity such as construction, sports, defence, medical, aerospace and agriculture. According to analysts, the real engine of world growth in the end-use consumption of technical textiles lies in Asia and the fastest growth prospects appear to lie in markets like China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and other developing countries. India in particular has a great potential to make an impact in this industry and can emerge as a key player in the technical textiles industry, considering its highly skilled and scientific/technical manpower and abundant availability of raw materials. Innovative hosiery in Yiwu The 12th China (Yiwu) International Exhibition on Hosiery, Knitting, Dyeing & Finishing Machinery (YIWU H&G 2011) gained overwhelming support from industry players as well as local and overseas leading enterprises. Organizer said that the exhibition was awarded as one of the top ten exhibitions in Zhejiang Province in 2007 and 2009. YIWU H&G 2011 gatherednearly 150 exhibitors at 9,000sqm exhibition area. YIWU H&G 2011 attracted new comers to exhibit. For instance, Rubberflex Sdn Bhd, one of the world’s largest rubber thread manufacturers supplying high quality rubber thread in talcum coated and silicone coated. Their key products NW and Felxi1 were presented for the first time at the exhibition. Caption: YIWU H&G 2011 gathered nearly 150 exhibitors at 9000sqm exhibition area Also exhibiting at YIWU H&G 2011 was Shanghai Yin Science & Technology Co Ltd, a high-tech enterprise involving many fields of advanced manufacturing industry and integrating R&D, production and sales of intelligent cutting equipment. It has a production line integrating CNC cutting machines, intelligent spreading machines, CAD discharging software, leather cutting machines, rapid garment systems and 3-D anthropological measuring systems. These products are widely used for soft material cutting field in clothing, spinning, home furnishing and so on. The latest machines for knitting, hosiery and seamless underwear were displayed at the fairground, showcasing internationally cutting edge technology to the buyers. The organizer has enhanced the co-operation with many associations, industry clusters and key enterprises in textile industry. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Diverse array of products shown at Intertextile Shanghai 2011 by Staff Reporters The 17th China International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories (Intertextile Shanghai Fabrics Fair), held during October 18-21, attracted 3,108 exhibitors (including 2,185 domestic exhibitors and 923 overseas exhibitors) from about 23 countries and regions to exhibit their new products on a total the exhibition area of 150,000sqm. The organizer Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said that this year’s visitor attendance reached more than 62,000 buyers, a 10% increase from the 2010 edition. The double digit rise proves that the development of the fair is going in the right direction. It notes that overall mood at the show was optimistic with positive comments for the quality of buyers and suppliers on-site, variety of products to choose from, informative seminar programme as well as a preview of international A/W 2012-13 fashion trends. Caption: The state-of-the-art fabrics were exhibited at the fair At the fair, international suppliers were for the first time divided into segmented areas, including cotton and man-made fibers, denim, knitted, lace and embroidery, lingerie and swimwear fabrics as well as fiber and yarns. Meanwhile, domestic exhibitors were separated by product end-uses such as casual wear, denim, suitings, shirtings, functional/ sportswear and ladieswear. It was palpable that the two special areas, denim zone as well as lingerie and swimwear zone, had captured visitors’ attention. In the lingerie and swimwear zone, a number of high-end underwear fabrics suppliers presented their products made with fashionable materials with original design. For the zone, the organizer selected streamlined stands to embellish the elegant lace embroidery patterns, which combined with the soft fabrics to manifest underwear fabrics’ chic and romance. Besides, the denim zone was well received by fashion-savvy visitors. The exhibits reflected casual, wild, vigorous and sexy charm of denim fabrics. Caption: 3M presented its Thinsulate insulation materials applied on garments and footwear Shared by domestic and international exhibitors, the accessories hall at the exhibition occupied 25,000sqm of exhibition area, which saw an increase of 57% compared with last year’s edition. About 420 domestic exhibitors and 70 overseas exhibitors presented their products at the hall, the organizer added. Cotton Council International: Promoting US cotton in China to see new breakthrough Cotton’s fluctuating prices have presented challenges to cotton fabrics suppliers this year. Karin Malmstrom, China Director, Cotton Council International (CCI), told ATA Journal: “Price fluctuation of raw materials and transfer of procurement source truly bring operation challenges to the entire textile and apparel industry, and people are seeking the best possible solutions. However, some things, like cotton prices which are determined by many factors, are very difficult to be foreseen.” Caption: Karin Malmstrom, China Director, Cotton Council International “We always promote cooperation between upstream and downstream these years, and encourage customers to use products manufactured with high-quality US cotton. We can effectively contact the global cotton textile suppliers and help them develop new business and obtain new orders.” She also added that CCI’s marketing activities in China in the past years had remarkable effectiveness. Under the theme of “natural colorful cotton and comfortable life”, CCI will implement the market activities for the coming year and extensively promote in second-tier cities where people’s purchasing power continues to rise, such as Chengdu, Wuhan, Qingdao and Xiamen. Dow Corning: Bringing eco-friendly solutions to Chinese textile industry Dow Corning and its partner Guangzhou Dongqi Textile Technology Co Ltd jointly exhibited a series of silicon-based products and their applications, including Dow Corning’s organic silicon textile printing silica gel, its Easy Style emulsion system as well as new impact-resistant textile through its DEFLEXION technology. Peter Wu, AETS Manager, Asian Area, Textiles & Chemicals Industry of Dow Corning Taiwan, introduced that Dow Corning organic silicon textile printing silica gel, is soft, low-sticky and elastic, providing different options in appearance and design with good printing fastness. “Dow Corning emphasizes sustainability, ecology and ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Caption: Peter Wu, AETS Manager, Asian Area, Textiles& Chemicals Industry, Dow Corning Taiwan environment protection on the development of products and new technologies. Our printing silica gel creates no harm to the environment as it contains no heavy metals, phthalate, formaldehyde, and meets the standard Oeko-Tex 100. It can be used in highly elastic fabrics such as swimwear and sportswear, and no distortion or breakage will occur in case of low temperature and elongation. In addition, the optimal printing effect can be reached with only small portion of this product - not only can shorten the production time, it can minimize wastage,” explained Mr Wu. He frankly said that for the time being, not many Chinese textile firms truly adopt organic silicon printing silica gel due to the cost pressure. “We expect that brand merchants and designers could accept the environmentally-friendly products better than traditional products due to their higher additional value.” “In my opinion, the future trend must be sustainable development, and the leading brands undertaking social responsibilities shall not stray from this direction,” he stressed. DuPont: Sorona to enter the cotton market of underwear and thermal insulation DuPont stressed the new applications of the renewable Sorona in underwear and thermal insulation cotton at the fair. Helen Weng, Marketing Specialist-China & HK, Applied BioSciences of Du Pont China, said that the company would cooperate with some underwear brands to apply Sorona in knitting underwear this year. “We will emphasize underwear and thermal insulation garments in the future. Now many brands of thermal insulation winter coats in the market contain the Sorona thermal insulation cotton - they are light with good thermal insulation performance and prevent down from coming out. They are easy to store and can quickly restore puffiness after compression,” she explained. Caption: Helen Weng, Marketing Specialist-China & HK, Applied BioSciences of Du Pont China She added that “price of readymade garments can be reduced if this thermal insulation cotton is used to replace down so that more customers can afford that. We have new breakthrough in denim technology. We will launch elastic short fiber with better stability for jeans soon so as to substitute urethane fiber”. Hohenstein Institute: Promoting global execution of standardization Hohenstein Institute Germany is mainly engaged in experiment, authentication and research in textile industry. It has implemented professional inspection and authentication of textiles for more than 60 years. Caption: Niu Bin and Charles Nie (right), Sales Executives of Hohenstein Textile Consulting (Shanghai) “In China market, we mainly implement OEKO-TEX 100 authentication against the harmful substances in textiles, such as prohibited azo dyes, carcinogenic and sensitizing dyes and formaldehyde. More and more exporters require this authentication due to the clear demand of the buyers,” said Charles Nie, Sales Executive of Hohenstein Textile Consulting (Shanghai) Co Ltd. “Europe’s textile requirements are becoming stricter, for example, baby textiles are listed into products of category 1, and they must go through the strictest test. Besides any accessory containing formaldehyde is prohibited, there are additional requirements on textile fastness to saliva, and baby textiles have to reach the highest grade of color fastness,” he explained. As a result, the domestic enterprises of China passing the test for products of category 1 are less than those passing the test for products of category 2, he added. “The quality testing departments of many countries irregularly inspect imported textiles, with the inspection frequency in North Europe higher than other regions.” Huamei Thread: Meeting customers’ higher requirement Huamei Thread is a cooperative enterprise invested by American & Efird in China and one of the largest thread manufacturing enterprises of China now. It produces 15,000 tons of various sewing threads and embroidery threads every year, including polyester fiber sewing threads, polyester fiber embroidery threads, high-strength threads, nylon threads, and mercerized cotton threads. Wang Zhizhong, Technical Service Manager of the company, said that international garment industry has higher requirements for sewing threads but many customers do not understand Caption: Wang Zhizhong, Technical Service Manager of Huamei Thread ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher the products’ true value. “About 80% of our current sales are for readymade garments. These products can reach better effect after treated with special finishes. For instance, the polyester threads on high-end shirts need to be resistant to high temperature and do not generate wrinkles while ironing. Our products can be resistant to temperature as high as 180℃, and are well received.” The most important requirements for jeans are wear resistance, washing resistance and no fading, said Mr Wang. “We have launched D-Core Indigo to solve this problem. The fabrics and sewing threads can fade simultaneously. On this thread, we have long-term cooperation with many brands such as Levi’s and Meters/bonwe.” Lenzing: Eco-friendly Edelweiss fiber to be used for production of textiles Lenzing has launched eco-friendly Edelweiss, which is a new fiber manufactured with new type environment-friendly technology and process. Caption: Eric Chan (right), General Manager, Lenzing Fibers (Shanghai) at Lenzing’s press conference Eric Chan, General Manager of Lenzing Fiber (Shanghai), introduced in the company’s press conference that the quality of Lenzing Edelweiss is same as its traditional Modal, their softness and color brightness, as well as the process flow in the supply chain of textiles are basically the same. “Lenzing Edelweiss fiber comes from beech. This plant grows in Europe and is very environment friendly. It needs no man-made cultivation or irrigation and is not involved with any chemical. In terms of fiber production technology, Edelweiss process is a new breakthrough. This production technology contains oxidation and is more eco-friendly than previous processes,” Mr Chan said. Lenzing’s phase II project of its plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province has been established and started production with annual output capacity of 140,000 tons. “The market demand for Lenzing fiber is rising, so our production capacity needs to be increasing as well. But we are paying more attention to environmental protection. Lenzing Edelweiss fiber can meet the highest environmental protection standard,” he added. Rieter: Opportunities exceed challenges in China Textile machinery supplier Rieter is always committed to research and development of sophisticated textile machines. According to Huang Wei, Marketing Manager of the Company, Rieter’s Changzhou plant will double its current capacity in the near future and introduce more advanced spinning technologies. “China has surpassed Turkey to become Rieter’s most important market. Despite unfavorable factors such as cotton’s price fluctuation, financing difficulty arising from national macro-control policy, our sales Caption: Huang Wei, Marketing Manager of Rieter Textile Systems (Shanghai) (Continued on p67) AD: KAR MING INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES CO., LTD ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Show Watcher Hong Kong poised to be “super servicing center” in Asia by Kelvin Yau Even though Hong Kong has moved most of its manufacturing activities to mainland China and other Asian countries, where production costs are lower, the city still holds an advantageous position in the textile and garment industry, according to industry insiders speaking at the Evolving Fashion Forum held during the recent Interstoff Asia Essential. Providing added values For Hong Kong textile and garment manufacturers, the FOB (Free On Board) costs have continued to increase due to the spiraling costs of raw materials and labors as well as the unfavorable currency exchange situation, noted Dr Harry Lee, Chief Executive Officer of TAL Apparel Ltd, one of the leading garment manufacturers in Hong Kong, while reaffirming Hong Kong’s important position. (FOB designates at which point the official transfer of ownership will take place between buyers and sellers of goods and who is to pay the shipping costs.) “Hong Kong is a higher cost base, and it is difficult for Hong Kong manufacturers to reduce the FOB costs,” he said. Some manufacturers are shifting their costs to customers by raising the IMU (Initial Mark-Up) or by moving their production to other countries. But Dr Lee suggested manufacturers look thoroughly at their entire product life cycle to find out the root-causes. In addition, they should strive to provide more value-added services. Caption: Industry insiders discussing future development of Hong Kong textile industry at the Evolving Fashion Forum He explained that in terms of service, manufacturers can look at customers’ entire product life cycle from design, product development and procurement, to manufacturing, logistics and inventory management. He emphasized, “It will be our job to create new, innovative products to help customers to differentiate from their competitors. It is also noteworthy that we should work on providing extra values for products instead of focusing on reducing the price.” A window to China “China is a huge market to be reckoned with and Hong Kong is a window to this market,” said Shirley Chan, Chief Executive Officer of YGM Trading Ltd, a marketer and builder of international apparel brands in Asia. She remarked: “If you want to introduce your brands to the China market, Hong Kong is an important platform.” Also the Chairman of the Hong Kong Brand Development Council, Ms Chan discussed possible ways to facilitate trademark registration in China. She said that the council had talked to the Chinese government about registration of one trademark for the whole China. “In Europe, if a company registers a brand in the EU community, the trademark would be recognized in some 20 countries. We can do something like that – this will be a lot easier for people who want to enter the China market. It would be more convenient if the trademark could be used in Hong Kong, China, Macau and Taiwan as well.” On Hong Kong’s development in the textile and apparel industry, Ms Chan believes that the city is poised to be a super servicing center due to a number of favorable factors. She stated that Hong Kong has sophisticated legal system for protecting intellectual properties, quality lab testing service as well as good sense of design and innovation. Also, Hong Kong is a preferred hub for global sourcing, with the presence of professional institutes and industry associations. “Hong Kong is where east and west meet. It also performs the role as the middle-man to promote international brands to the China market, and vice versa,” she said. Her views were echoed by Felix Chung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Apparel Society, who predicted that Hong Kong would be a super servicing center within the next 10 years. He pointed out that many international high-end brands are eyeing Hong Kong because of its proximity to China. “Since last year, many overseas brands were having their IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) in Hong Kong; two international high fashion brands are presently queuing to get their IPOs here. It is because they [the fashion brands] are targeting the China market,” he said. Highlighting the paramount importance of fashion talent, he suggested that local educational institutes should include more fashion-related subjects, such as fashion trends and fashion marketing, in their syllabus. ■ This is a full version of the article with the same title on www.AdsaleATA.com ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile “Carefully aggressive” approach to expand global presence by Kelvin Yau Caption: Featured company: Protex International Marching into its 80th anniversary in 2012, French chemicals supplier Protex International, which initially focused on producing chemical products for the textile industry, has extended its expertise to such fields as agriculture, electronics, paints, inks, paper, perfume compositions and water management. In its current business, chemical products for textile sector makes up 20% of total turnover. The chemical company has been continuously strengthening its international presence by establishing subsidiaries or through acquisitions in Europe, the US, Asia and South America. According to the company, 80% of its turnover (130 million euros in 2011) was generated outside of France. It is planning to further develop its presence in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Robert Moor, President of Protex International, spoke to ATA Journal about the company’s latest development strategies. ATA: ATA Journal Mr Moor: Robert Moor, President of Protex International ATA: What are new products Protex offers to the textile industry? What benefits do they offer to the textile industry? Mr Moor: Our textile auxiliaries cover a diverse range of products for the preparation, dyeing, process assistance, finishing, special effects and coating. Our products are directly coming from our own R&D and our innovations. Our main objective is to help users face challenges concerning environmental demands, and products’ energy requirements. Protex also continues to respond to these issues, including working within REACH. And for many products, Protexhas obtained different certifications such as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), BlueSign. The reduction of the content of Lycra/spandex in fabrics can be very beneficial for the end user when using PROTE-SPRING 930. PROTE-GAL LD 971aims at rapid dyeing of polyester in exhaustion process, and is efficient to reduce the differences in shade bath after bath. Back staining is an important problem during denim finishing. Contrast between blue and white treads of denim is reduced because white parts of item are stained by Indigo removed from blue material. PROTE-WASH ABS is used to protect weft yarns and pockets aspect, the use of this new anti-back stain agent is necessary. Besides, REXAMINE H-PU increases the hydrophilicity of hydrophobic supports and preserves or increases the hydrophilicity of hydrophilic fabrics. The finishing achieved brings an innovative fresh, soft and pleasant handle. PROTE-CARE H PE Extraalso gives a durable finishing for polyester textile, allowing a significant increase of textile comfort (hydrophilicity, antistatic and soft handle). ATA: Could you tell us some major products Protex offers to the textile sector? Mr Moor: In textile auxiliaries, we offer a wide range of products able to cover all textile wet processing. For instance, the PROTE-PON range allows cleaning of the fiber before dyeing. Other products such as PROTE-GAL range allow uniform dyeing and make it more reliable in bulk processes to reduce water consumption. We also offer finishing products to give a better handle and comfort of the finished article, such as the REXAMINE products. Protex also has some other finishing products that bring special properties, such as fire retardant agent (PROTE NYL range) and water & oil repellency (DRYOL range, or moisture management product (PROTE CARE range). ATA: In developing textile finishing agents and chemicals, what are the biggest trends? In other words, what can dyers and finishers be looking forward to in the future? Caption: Robert Moor, President of Protex International Mr Moor: The trend of textile auxiliaries for us is in the finishing. Our main goal is to improve the features of textiles, such as softness, ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile colorfastness and durability. The moisture management on all kind of fibers is also very important and that’s why we have launched the product PROTE-CARE to reduce the humidity of certain textiles and the impact of perspiration for better comfort in wearing. We also take care of the environmental aspects of our products to minimize water consumption. And we also take in into account the ecological aspects of our products. ATA: In the textile sector, what are the major export markets of Protex? Mr Moor: Our major Asian markets are South Korea, China, Thailand andIndonesia, while our European markets are the UK, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland. ATA: Protex strengthened its presence in China by setting up subsidiaries there as early as 1979. What drove your company to make such a move back then? What has your company achieved so far? Mr Moor: The presence in China of Protex began in 1979, with the establishment of Prox-Asia in Hong-Kong sell products within China which were manufactured at the Synthron plant, at Auzouer-en-Touraine, in France. Aware of China’s strong growth potential of China and the necessity to establish proximity with local clients, Protex decided to establish an industrial presence there. Sino-Prox Chemicals Gaoyao plant was set up in Guandong in 1995, followed by Suzhou Prox-Chem in Jiangsu,Suzhou in 2003, ShandongProx-Chem in Qingdao in 2006, and Suzhou Protavic in 2009. These Chinese subsidiaries are wholly-owned by Protexand benefit from polyvalent equipment on their production sites. Protex has different R&D laboratories in Asia, including Chinese R&D laboratories in Guandong, in Suzhou, in Jiangsu as well as South Korean laboratories in CheonJu and in Dee-Jun, where the research teams develop specific innovative solutions for the Asian market, and follows a policy of “cross-fertilization” from one market to another. I personally believe in the advantages of know-how developed in various fields, from chemical synthesis to polymerization and formulation. Caption: Inside the R&D laboratory of Protex Essentially, it is textile auxiliaries which are manufactured and sold by the Chinese subsidiaries, including our products for weaving, bleaching agents, auxiliaries for dyeing and printing, finishings, and also products for electronics: silver electro-conductive glues, polymerisable UV resins, encapsulation resins. In the future, products from other markets should also be manufactured in China. Given the growing needs in this country, I believe China is and remains a priority country for the coming years. Therefore, we intend to develop our organic growth there and make acquisitions in order to pursue our expansion strategy in this country. China is the second largest world economy and will shortly be the first. The Asian market is strong and the chemical industry in China will be number one in 2015 - the Chinese chemical industry grew by 14.6% on average over the past few years. Protex International’s profile Year of establishment: 1932 Number of employees: 500 employees Location of offices: 20 countries in Europe, the US, Asia, Africa, and Latin America Yearly sales turnover $130 million euros Sales turnover breakdown: France: 20%, North America: 8%, Europe (except France): 33%, Asia Pacific: 32%, others: 7% Location of six R&D Centers: France, the US, Asia Location of 19 production plants: Europe, the US, Asia ATA: Besides China, other emerging Asian markets such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Vietnam are gaining significance in the textile industry. What are your views on the development of these markets? How important are they to your business in the textile sector? Mr Moor: Besides China, we are currently present in countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Vietnam with distributors. We are also reviewing the opportunities to start producing in these countries, although their current political and economic situation may postpone such projects. These markets, especially Bangladesh, are very important for us to sell our textile auxiliaries. ATA: What is the next step of Protex in its further development? Mr Moor: The considerable size of Protexhas provided us with extraordinary flexibility, which enables us to invest in human potential even during an economic crisis. Despite a slower economic environment, at present Protex has a good financial situation and remains dedicated to an organic growth. We will be continuously investing in R&D, and recruiting engineers for the laboratories and the sales activities. By being “carefully aggressive”, Protex has seen both organic growth and external growth. Itwill carefully study all acquisition opportunities for sizeable chemical companies in France and abroad, when synergies can be found and the target company can rapidly benefit from our management style. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile Integrated facilities raise supply chain efficiency by Asep Setiaharja Caption: Featured company: PT Danliris, Indonesia Established in 1974, PT Danliris holds an important position in the Indonesian textile industry, meeting the global demand for quality textile and apparal. Its vertically integrated facilities – from upstream to downstream – are set up in one location to maximize its efficiency and productivity. With two divisions, Textile Division and Garment Division, PT Danliris has almost vertically complete facilities from spinning mill, weaving mill, dyeing/printing/finishing mill to garment factory. As part of the company’s supply chain, its weaving mill plays a significant role. With total production capacity of more than 80 million m/yr of greige fabrics and 48 million m/yr of finish fabric, the company serves the demand of both domestic and export markets. To stay competitive, PT Danliris has tremendously invested in new machines, hiring and training employees both in factories and in management. To learn more about the company’s latest development, especially in its weaving mill, ATA Journal visited its President Director, Mrs Michelle Tjokrosaputro, at the company’s factory in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. ATA: ATA Journal Mrs Tjokrosaputro: Michelle Tjokrosaputro, President Director of PT Danliris ATA: In your weaving facility, what are some of your latest product developments? Mrs Tjokrosaputro: PT Danliris always looks for new innovation of its products. Our product development department works hard to develop new products to satisfy customers’ need. Oxford fabric with a special construction is our latest product. We have a special construction that enhances its softness and comfort although it is a blend of cotton and polyester. ATA: What are the important machines / technologies you adopt in your weaving production facility? Why? Mrs Tjokrosaputro: PT Danliris employs two types of technologies in our weaving production facility, namely jet looms and shuttle looms. Air jet loom weaving machine used to produce fabric of garment’s raw material while shuttle looms used to produce fabric to be printed. And capacity of air jet looms were tripled compared with shuttle looms. Caption: Michelle Tjokrosaputro, President Director of PT Danliris Our technologies are mostly from Japan. Tsudakoma and Toyota are the two major suppliers of the machinery. We find that Japanese technologies are suited for our needs, and easy to handle. With high cost of training and maintenance, we can’t take any risk to adopt technology we are not familiar with. Machines from China are also in use, but in small quantity, especially in our shuttle looms facility. ATA: What are the biggest challenges to PT Danliris at the moment ? Mrs Tjokrosaputro: With the recent sharp increase in demand for dyed yarn fabric, we need to produce first quality dyed yarn fabric. As you know, to weave fabric with yarns of different colors need more accuracy than ordinary greige fabric. Our production line has to pay more attention in the whole production process, starting from yarn dyeing up to fabric finishing. Efficiency is our second challenge. PT Danliris has been working very hard to improve the efficiency in every line of production. Efficiency is very important in terms of productivity as well as reducing cost. However, what we have done is not sufficient yet. We have to continuously improve, otherwise we will lose in the competition. We are also compelled to work on productivity in terms of minimizing the defects of end-products during our production. It is our goal to maintain our defective product rate as low as possible. We have invested quite a lot to stabilize our products’ quality. ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Corporate Profile PT Danliris’s key statistics Year of establishment 1974 Number of employees More than 8,000 Production capacity Air-jet looms weaving 60 million m/yr Shuttle looms weaving 21 million m/yr Dyeing and printing 48 million m/yr Garment 8.4 million pcs/yr Market share of the whole group 35% local and 65% export Market share of its weaving sector 75% local and 25% export Main export markets of the whole group Turkey, the UK and Italy Main export markets of its weaving sector Turkey, Italy and Belgium ATA: In face of the challenging environment, what are you doing to stay competitive? Please explain. Mrs Tjokrosaputro: PT Danliris has four key strategies to stay competitive. They are: low cost production, product quality, excellence in after-sales services and new product development. To maintain low-cost production, the factory has to run efficiently. Efficiency in supply chain is very important for us. The selling price of our products is highly dependent on market price. Good production cost management will help to maintain profit margin. Productivity is also important since large production capacity is not a guarantee for success. Good production process can avoid defect and product rejection rate. We pay more attention to quality to satisfy buyers and gain their trust. Buyers’ trust is very important in such a fierce competition. Caption: Weaving mill of PT Danliris in Indonesia ATA: In your opinion, how are Indonesia textile manufacturers positioned in the Asian and global markets? Mrs Tjokrosaputro: I do believe that Indonesian textile manufacturers are competitive in Asia as well as global market. Although currently we are facing many emerging industrialized countries, which lead to heightened competition, we are confident that with our products’ quality and competitive prices, we will win the competition. Indonesia is benefiting from the vertical integration of textile supply chain, which improves supply chain efficiency. In addition, since we have been working in the textile industry for decades, we have cultivated a lot of valuable skilled workers in the industry. ■ (Continued from “Show Watcher” p61) orders still witness the stable increase this year. Our plant situated in Changzhou City will complete capacity expansion to double in this December,” he said confidently. He further explained that Rieter has continued to invest in China market for two reasons, one is China’s growing demand for the advanced textile machines; second is that China is encouraging development of textile machinery manufacture industry. “China’s 12th Five-year Plan will reduce workers per 10,000 spindles in the textile industry from now 100 to 60, and we see the opportunities therein. In fact, the average workers per 10,000 spindles will be only 23 for carding if Rieter’s whole process equipment is employed, thus efficiency will be highly improved and recruitment difficulty will be relieved.” Testex: More opportunities in China Testex is a Swiss independent test and authentication organization, which mainly provides certifications such as Oeko-Tex Standard 100 issued for raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products, Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 certification issued for production of textile on site, UV Standard 801 certification issued for clothing and sun-proof products and Eco-Passport certification issued for textile dyes and assistants. “We started business in Shanghai ten years ago and now become the only representative institute authorized by Oeko-Tex in China. China’s textile enterprises did not understand at first, but now they are actively seeking authentication to attract buyers. This is becoming more and more apparent,” said Han Huanying, the company’s Customer Service Officer. Caption: Han Huanying, Customer Service Officer of Testex She added that China is a powerful holder of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification ahead of Germany, Turkey and Italy. “The current tests are mainly related to the certification for the products of category 2 (direct skin contact), making up about 53%, and the authentications for baby products follow.” According to Ms Han, besides Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Chinese enterprises also pay attention to the Oeko-Tex Standard 1000 system that conducts test, audit and authentication to environment-friendly factories. “There are many requirements for authentication and testing for environmentally-friendly factories, such as water treatment, emission, energy use, production noise, measures for safe working conditions and so on, so only a few firms in China can pass this authentication. I believe that more enterprises will participate in the future,” she noted.■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Company Bulletin Huntsman opens 12th Formulation and Distribution Center in Brazil Huntsman Textile Effects has officially opened its 12th Formulation and Distribution Center (FDC) in Sao Paolo, Brazil to further enhance the company’s ability in shortening the supply chain in its Americas markets. Focusing on the production of dyeing auxiliaries, pre-treatment and finishing products for local customers, the new FDC further strengthens Huntsman’s operations, allowing it to explore local production of chemical and textile products that match premium global standards and use latest innovative technology, says the company, emphasizing that the Brazilian market represents one of the fast-growing, dynamic markets of increasing importance. “With the opening of our new low cost production facility for formulated chemicals in Sao Paolo, we will considerably increase our competitiveness and flexibility in textile chemicals in the growing Brazilian textile market,” said Rohit Aggarwal, Vice President of Huntsman Textile Effects for Apparel and Home Textiles. “Huntsman Textile Effects is committed to sustainability and looks to develop more competitive locally-sourced formulated products for the local market,” he added. Monte Edlund, Vice President of Advanced Materials Americas said at the opening of the FDC Sao Paolo: “We are delighted that our Textile Effects division is opening this FDC as it means they can offer a truly bespoke end to end service for their customers across Brazil. It will also result in greater integration between our two divisions, Advanced Materials and Textile Effects within Americas and will ensure greater leverage of existing Huntsman business infrastructure in Brazil.” ITEMA Weaving’s new Sultex A9500 well received ITEMA Weaving reports significant sales performance of the Sultex A9500 Air Jet Weaving Machine, which was introduced a few months ago. The machine is already performing at the highest speeds at mills in Italy, Germany, India and China, says the company. Caption: ITEMA’s Sultex A9500 Air Jet Weaving Machine “The Sultex A9500 machines allow us a step forward in the woven quality considering an improved fabric appearance and reduced starting marks, what is particularly important on the high competitive European market”, explains Volker Steidel, CEO of Lauffenmuehle GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. Lauffenmuehle purchased the Sultex A9500 in order to increase productivity by using the latest technology in high speed air jet machines. The A9500 offers a unique shed geometry, says the company. The slay can be driven by conjugated cams or by a crank mechanism, depending on the requirements of the customer. The Sultex A9500 is the only weaving machine on the market that offers both options for the slay drive. The A9500 is a versatile machine and can be supplied with a broad range of key configurations to successfully produce the most demanding styles. The new lateral & central independent selvedge devices combined with new pneumatic tuckers for full width reed guarantee quality double panel weaving. According to the company, thanks to the powerful electronic platform, new functionalities are now available for the best control of insertion parameters. It’s in the wider width weaving that the Air Management System, including the RTC and the fully digital Air Consumption Metering, ensures optimum air consumption yielding energy savings and full automation of the pneumatic settings. Karl Mayer to transfer nonwovens technology to Christian Pinkert According to Karl Mayer’s recent press release, as of January 1, 2012, its machine technology for producing stitch-bonded nonwovens will be transferred to Christian PinkertTextilmaschinen. Caption: Karl Mayer’s Malivlies machine Christian Pinkert is a family-run company that serves customers all over the world and manufactures special machines for niche markets in the textile industry. Under the transfer agreement, it will, as a Karl Mayer license holder, manufacture the entire range of Malimo stitch-bonding machines in future, including the Malivlies, Maliwatt, Kunit and Multiknit machines, and this includes all the optimized and customized features. Karl Mayer says it will continue to provide key areas of expertise for the machines, and will transfer all its knowledge of the Malimo technology to the new manufacturer. In addition to producing the machines, Christian Pinkert will also take on the marketing and distribution, assembly, commissioning, servicing and spare parts provision. The company will also provide customer support when developing products. Noman Group extends Monforts line-up Noman Group, one of Bangladesh’s largest vertically integrated textiles producers and the country’s biggest exporter of garments in 2010, has added a new MonfortsMontexstenter to its line-up as part of a massive investment aimed at keeping the group in its premier position. The new Montex 6500 stenter was installed at the Noman Weaving Mills plant at Sreepur, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Noman already uses a range of Monforts technology in its continuous dyeing and sanforising lines with Monfortex and Toptex ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Company Bulletin shrinkage units for woven and knitted fabrics. These sanforizers offer increased residual shrinkage, higher production speeds, and reduced water consumption for cooling and substantial time savings for blanket changes. Caption: MonfortsMontex 6500 stenter at Noman’s factory Installing the new Monforts 6500-6F stenter, which joins two other Monfortsstenters, will allow Noman to step up its output of dyed and knitted fabrics and offer faster and more flexible production times to its customers. Noman notes that it’s impressed with the machine’s energy saving operation, given that there is shortage of energy supply in Bangladesh. Bühler acquires Rieter’s two manufacturing facilities in Czech Republic Swiss technology group Bühler will acquire Rieter’stwo manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic. The manufacturing operations earmarked for sale are located in Zamberk and Ústí nad Orlicí, the Czech Republic, and are part of Rieter’s wholly-owned subsidiary Rieter CZ. As manufacturers of subassemblies, components and sheet metal parts, the two facilities operate mainly as Rieter’s suppliers. However, in light of the further expansion of its business in the major Asian markets, Rieter foresees changes in the volume of purchases from its Czech facility. The company explains that through the transfer of this business to Bühler, it will gain additional flexibility in manufacturing and at the same time create optimal development prospects for the plants being sold. Its remaining activities at the Ústí nad Orlicí and Boskovice sites are not affected by this transaction. Bühler will retain all Rieter’s employees, and be planning further investment in the Czech manufacturing site. In reinforcing its manufacturing capacity in Europe, and especially in Eastern Europe, it is pursuing the principle of producing efficiently and cost-effectively, as close to the market as possible. According to Rieter, the acquisition will at the same time increase its flexibility by enabling the targeted growth in output to be handled in-house, and will create scope to improve throughput times. The transaction is expected to be completed in January 2012. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. TenCate and Samil partner to expand TenCate Defender M in South Korea TenCate Protective Fabrics has signed an agreement with Samil Spinning Co Ltd in Seoul, Korea, to become a TenCate Defender M partner. The agreement aims to expand the TenCate Defender M product portfolio in the South Korean military and police market. Samil is currently providing non-FR fabrics to the South Korean military and there is high interest in expanding their offering to include TenCate Defender M with its inherently FR properties and reputation as the FR choice for military applications. Samil has spinning operations as well as dyeing and finishing facilities and will, in some cases, license manufacture fabric from start to finish in South Korea. Samil will focus on the manufacture, sales and marketing of TenCate Defender M in the South Korean market. TenCate Defender M manufactured in South Korea will be sold and used there and will not reach the US market. TenCate said that Samil, an established partner with Lenzing Fibers, is well positioned to make TenCate Defender M with Lenzing FR fiber as its primary component and the alliance is a valuable opportunity for growth in the South Korean market. Wacker Polymers to raise vinyl acetate-based dispersion prices in the Americas Wacker Polymers is to raise its prices for Vinnapas vinyl acetate-ethylene and ehtylene-vinyl chloride-based copolymer dispersions by US$0.03 per wet pound in the Americas, effective October 14 or as customer contracts allow. The additive producer says that this measure has been necessitated by the continued increase in raw-material and distribution cost. Vinnapas dispersions are applied in a broad variety of industries, ranging from adhesives, nonwovens, paints and coatings to paper, building products, carpet and textiles. ■ People Stephen Warner leaving IFAI as President and CEO The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced on October 25 that its President/CEO Stephen Warner is stepping down from his post. Mr Warner said: “I have sincerely enjoyed working for IFAI these last 35 years, including 25 years as its president. It has been a tremendous honor to serve the industry and I hope that my contribution has made a difference. Caption: Stephen Warner “This is the transition time that makes sense for IFAI as the industry itself changes around us. The parting is very amicable. I intend to continue to be a goodwill ambassador for IFAI.” Peter McKernan, Chairman of the Board of IFAI commented: “Steve has been a wonderful ambassador for our association. His tireless efforts and thoughtful leadership exemplify the best qualities of our industry. We wish Steve and his family best wishes for the future.” ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

New Products Guide Clariant presents new effect for cosmetotextiles Clariant has introduced a new high strength, high performance effect in cosmetotextiles, trying to “transphere” softness, firmness and smoothness to the skin in an invisible gesture. Called “Quiospheres”, the new effect is said to utilize Clariant’s innovative technology to produce a homogenous, durable application of Lipotec’s high value, microencapsulated cosmetic ingredients onto wovens, knits and non-wovens made of any textile fabric, such as cotton, and nylon. Two effects are available: Quiospheres Moist for hydrating and moisturizing properties, and Quiospheres Slim for firmness and wellness. Caption: The cosmetic benefits of Quiospheres are released onto the skin through a two-step technology - affinity and gradual release Lipotec is a division under the Lipotec Group that researches, designs and produces advanced active ingredients for cosmetics, encapsulated actives and liposomal formulas. Among its biologically active ingredients, a series of new peptides have been tailor-made with biomimetic criteria, emulating the natural skin molecules and improving its functionality. Once the garment or product is worn and comes into contact with the skin, the release of the cosmetic ingredients begins, and the longer they are worn, the better the feeling of well-being is, Clariant claims. The company adds that the application technology of the microcapsules to the fabric is quality controlled to be evenly distributed across the fabric, and the microcapsules are protected and unaffected by the impact of handling, mechanical stress and high temperature throughout the production process of the fabric. Besides the high quality ingredients, the cosmetic effects are released towards the skin through a unique two-step technology. The first step is the “transphere” of the microcapsules from the fabric, thanks to the special design of Quiospheres, which confers them a high affinity for the skin. This high affinity is a key for the effective transference and the homogenous flow of feelings of well-being and wellness. The second step is a gradual release and “transphere” of the cosmetic ingredients caused by the reaction or activity of human’s natural skin enzymes with the microcapsule shell’s components, allowing the ingredients to be delivered to the skin. According to Clariant, the release of the ingredients is scientifically measured and continues for an extended period of time - not only are the ingredients long lasting but the fabric has a high wash resistance and the microcapsules remain effective through 20 wash cycles. The chemical company adds that garments incorporating Quiospheres can be tumbled and ironed at warm temperatures up to 70 C while recommending sensitive laundering for Quiospheres finished garments to support a long lasting effect of the microencapsulated cosmetic ingredients. Clariant stresses that Quiospheres’ cosmetic benefits and claims are supported by Lipotec’s R&D&i (Research & Development & innovation). New Lenzing Modal Edelweiss fiber offers eco benefits Austrian cellulose fiber manufacturer Lenzing Group introduces a new, eco-friendly fiber, Lenzing Modal Edelweiss. Thanks to the innovative and eco-friendly Edelweiss technology, Lenzing Modal Edelweiss offers a range of environmental advantages, such as carbon neutrality, a low need for land and a replenishable raw material of natural origins, while performing identically to the conventional Lenzing Modal fiber, says Lenzing, stressing that the fiber properties, softness and color brilliance, remain intact, and the processing in the textile supply chain is the same. “The fiber manufacturing plant in Lenzing Austria is the only one in the world which is fully integrated and has all of the production steps, from the pulp to the fiber, perfectly under control. Throughout the entire process, attention can be paid to environmental protection. The Edelweiss technology is based on a chemical process derived from oxygen which is more eco-friendly than previous ones. Thus Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is the only Modal fiber which satisfies the highest possible environmental standards,” said Andreas Dorner of Lenzing. Caption: Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is an environmental innovation produced by an innovative, eco-friendly manufacturing technology According to him, Lenzing will produce only selected quantities of the new fiber, which will be introduced at the fall trade shows, for customers with special ecological requirements initially. Lenzing Modal is extracted from beech wood. According to Lenzing, the beech forests thrive in Northern and Central Europe and shape the landscapes of these regions. The tree is thought to improve the earth since it is a deep-rooting plant and conditions the soil. Beech trees propagate by “rejuvenation” hence there is no need for reforestation or replanting of plantations. Forests grow on marginal land and yield a high cellulose harvest without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides. Lenzing says that more than half of the wood it uses comes from Austria and the remainder from neighboring countries, and only beech wood from forests managed in compliance with sustainable forestry legislation is used. Also, Lenzing’s pulp factory is said to be a net positive energy producer. It requires no additional energy while it can also supply energy to the entire Lenzing site. These carbon-neutral thermal processing techniques were developed by ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

New Products Guide Lenzing engineers are unique to Lenzing, the company stresses. Monforts introduces new Montex 8000 stenter According to a recent press release from A. Monforts, its new Montex 8000 stenter features a number of options suited for knitted fabrics, non-woven and technical textiles applications. Caption: The new Montex 8000 stenter introduced by Monforts As stated, this includes a new heat recovery module incorporating a fully automatic cleaning system for its integrated heat recovery system; a reduced distance at the infeed for knitted fabrics; a new heavy duty vertical chain; new rotating disc type “fluff-sieves” and a vacuum system for efficient cleaning; and two parallel integrated exhaust ducts in each chamber. The company notes that a new heat recovery module ‘Eco booster HRC’ with a fully automatic cleaning system is introduced, replacing the earlier modules, manually cleaned, tubes system. The new system cleans itself fully automatically during machine operation and ensures continuous uninterrupted high availability, says Monforts. Providing availability on a constant level, reduced downtime and no reduction in the stenters performance due to contaminated filters, the system is integrated into the Montex roof and requires no additional ductwork, says the company. The new stenter is also available with a reduced infeed distance between the infeed roller and the needling point for knitted fabrics, preventing eventual edge curling; the distance has been further reduced by 60mm, according to Monforts. As introduced, the new stenter is also available with a heavy duty, “Hercules” type vertical chain; designed for heavier weight knitted, non-woven and technical textile applications. The “Marathon” type vertical chain will be available further on together with the horizontal chain versions. New rotating “disc type” sieves, each equipped with a vacuum cleaning system is introduced as an option to collect “fluff” and ensure efficient cleaning and the highest machine availability. Designed for special coating processes and, technical and non-wovens applications, a new thermal splitting system allows different finishing temperatures in both the upper and lower nozzle systems, says Monforts, adding it is ideal for applications such as automobile carpets where different temperatures are required on both sides of the product. Rieter unveils additional productivity potential of new R 60 rotor spinning machine Swiss spinning machinery maker Rieter lately says that its new automatic R 60 rotor spinning machine can achieve greater productivity potential thanks to its capability to attain higher rotor speeds than previously disclosed. As it was mentioned in the announcement of the production release of the R 60, the new generation of rotor spinning machines offered up to 170 000 rotations per minute of the rotor, a length of up to 540 spinning positions and up to 350m/min. As more than 100 machines have been sold since the announcement, Rieter says that detailed measurements at the customer’s premises have confirmed the anticipated savings of a further 5% in energy consumption compared to its predecessor. The customer could increase the productivity by up to 5% due to the improved technology of the S 60 spinning box. The 20% quicker robots provide better efficiency. Caption: Rieter’s new R 60 rotor spinning machine Verified by these experiences, Rieter claims that it could now also increase the maximum rotor speed and with its productivity potential, it also covers possible increases anticipated through further development of the technological components. New fabric offers hybrid lightweight ballistic protection in bulletproof vests Teijin Aramid has introduced the latest unidirectional laminate fabric, Twaron UD41, which has been specially developed for bulletproof vests to provide extra protection from different types of attack, for groups such as soldiers or police units, and also private citizens who require such protection. The new fabric is based on the Twaronpara-aramid fiber. Protective vests made with it are said to be able to withstand bullets and bullet fragments, as well as other forms of assault, such as stabbing. According to the company, it makes bulletproof vests lighter in weight and able to offer greater flexibility and comfort than standard bulletproof vests without any concessions in terms of quality, protection or performance. As the company explains, Twaron UD41 is a so-called unidirectional laminate, made up of four layers of Twaron fiber threads. The special 0°/90°/0°/90° configuration of the layers ensures that the strength of the fibers is used to optimal effect and prevent the material from shrinking. Also, the Smart UD technology guarantees that the Twaron fibers are parallel in every layer. Teijin Aramid adds that each layer is individually constructed in the resin matrix and a thermoplastic film is completely laminated over the four UD layers, thereby providing maximum protection and preventing wear and tear. Tested in accordance with NIJ 01.01.06 requirements, UD41 can be used in combination with other Twaron products for extra strength and performance. ■ ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook

Coming Event Calendar Date Event Location Organizer Tel/ Fax/ Email/ Website 2011 Dec 6-8 China Sourcing Fair: Garments & Textiles Singapore Global Sources (852) 8199 7308 / visit@chinasourcingfair.com / www.chinasourcingfair.com/singapore/gadc 2012 Jan 11-14 Heimtextil 2012 Frankfurt / Germany Messe Frankfurt Exhibtion GmbH (49) 69 75 75 0 / www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com Jan 17-20 HK Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2011 Hong Kong / China HK Trade Development Council (852) 2240-4323 / exhibitions@hktdc.org / hkfashionweekfw.hktdc.com Feb 7-10 DTG 2012 - The 9th Dhaka Int’l Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition Dhaka / Bangladesh Chan Chao International Co., Ltd (886) 2-26596000 / textile@chanchao.com.tw / www.bangla-expo.com/DTG/ Feb 29 - Mar 2 China Lighting Expo 2012- China (Beijing) International Lighting Exhibition & LED Lighting Technology and Applications Exhibition 2012 Beijing / China Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. (852) 2516 3381 / publicity@adsale.com.hk / www.chinalightingexpo.com Mar 1-3 MEGATECH 2012 Lahore / Pakistan Pegasus Consultancy (Pvt.) Ltd. (92-21) 111 734 266 / info@megatechpakistan.com / www.megatechpakistan.com Mar 7-9 The 19th South China International Exhibition on Printing Industry / The China International Exhibition on Label Printing Technology 2012 Guangzhou / China Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. (852) 2516 3389 / publicity@adsale.com.hk / www.printingsouthchina.com Mar 14-16 Interstoff Asia Essential - Spring Hong Kong / China Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd (852) 2238 9963 / textile@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com / http://www.messefrankfurt.com.hk/fair_homepage.aspx??fair_?id=1&?exhibition_?id=1 Mar 28-30 Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics Beijing / China Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd (852) 2238 9954 / textile@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com / http://?www.?messefrankfurt.?com.?hk/?fair_?homepage.?aspx??fair_?id=2&?exhibition_?id=2 Mar 28-31 DTC 2012 - The 13th China (Dongguan) Int'l Textile & Clothing Industry Fair Dongguan / China Paper Communication Exhibition Services (852) 2763 9011 / textile@paper-com.com.hk / www.dtcshow.com Apr 19-22 InterTex 2012 Jakarta / Indonesia PT Peraga Nusantara Jaya Sakti (62) 649 3717 / peraga@peragaexpo.com / www.peragaexpo.com Apr 21-24 ITM 2012 - International Textile Machinery Exhibition Istanbul / Turkey Teknik Fuarcilik Yay Rek Dan Tic Ltd Sti (90) 212 876 75 06 / info@teknikfuarcilik.com / www.itm2012.com Jun 12-16 ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 Shanghai / China Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co., Ltd (44) 7967 477305 / info@cematex.com / www.itmaasia.com / * ATA Journal will be distributed at booth / media stand * These events are accurate to the best of our knowledge and are subject to change without prior notice. Event organizers are welcome to email information of their coming events to The Editor, ATA Journal cta.ata.edit@adsale.com.hk ATA JOURNAL•DEC 2011/JAN 2012 www.AdsaleATA.com eBook:www.AdsaleATA.com/eBook