garment industry analysis
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DeepakMohindra
Editor-in-Chief
Read and comment on my blog at
http://stitchworldmagazine.blogspot.com
E D I T O R I A L
An interesting beginning to the year is the growing number of
‘technopreneurs’– people who have garment manufacturing education
and are now starting business on their own… I have met some of them
recently and am very happy with the development.
I have always said in my earlier editorials that unless we have the new
generation coming forward to establish factories, this industry will wane
away. And now I have a hope that the industry is on a strong footing
because my list of start-ups isgrowing.
For me it does not matter whether the start-up is for exports or domestic
manufacturing… A start-up in garmenting is what is important. At least
these young professionals are getting into the business on their own…,
willing to manufacture garments, which even older players are finding
difficult to do!
I would wish to extend them any help if they would want from us, to see
them grow and progress to be the next Shahi or Orient Craft… If you
know any such start-ups, do connect them to StitchWorld,we would love
to welcome them into our folds.
We have also recrafted the StitchWorld to suit their needs… When I say
recrafted, I mean the focus is now clearly on benchmark practices, new
models of operations, more automation and robotics and not to be
ignored of innovative ways to manage and motivate employees. Emphasis
is also on career building and sustainable initiatives.
I look forward to your suggestions to be more targeted and valuable to
my readers.
In line with our new editorial thrust, an interesting article is
‘Entrepreneurship:Transformation from Learning to Execution’wherein
Sanjay Yadav shares how his experience on the shopfloor at other
factories and education helped him in setting up his own unit.
In the article – ‘Anatomy of an Efficient Apparel Production Manager’, the
traits and the deliverables of an ideal production manager are discussed
in detail. This is particularly important as the foundation of an efficient
apparel manufacturing setup is led by production, and the production
manager is the critical bridge between the company’s financial goals
and workers.
We have also initiated a new series wherein SW will present ‘Top-List’
technology providers in different segments used in apparel industry
processes.The section aims at analysing the best available in the market.
TECH BYTESWere you present at the 10th edition of India ITME, held in Mumbai (India) recently?
How did you find the exhibits at the event? What interested you the most? Where do you feel the
industry ismovingafterhavingalookat thelatesttechnologiesdisplayedattheexhibition?
Ofthe25product launchesthat tookplaceat theevent,whichonecaughtyoureye?
The 10th edition of India ITME was worth
attending.There was a great range of technologies
displayed in the dyeing/printing segment, which
really had my eyes set on them.Though I didn’t
find any new/innovative technology or machinery
in the spinning segment, which was something
disappointing, it was same as displayed in earlier
editions. I do feel that industry is moving forward
on the path of innovation slowly and steadily.
Companies are now ready to invest in new
technology despite higher investments because
they want to adopt state-of-the-art machinery
in order to achieve high profits and production
capacity. I am looking forward to something that
alongside being advanced provides me with the
benefit of reduction in cost,power and labour.
GOVINDA MARDAExecutive Director, Arvind Cotsyn (India) Limited
No new technological developments were seen
in the weaving segment, which dissatisfied me
as I was expecting some novel technologies or
features. But the spinning segment caught my
interest. I was looking for an automated process
for material handling during various processesof
spinning and finishing. Automatic containers and
packing solutions by Sieger Spintech Equipments
Pvt. Ltd. grabbed my attention. Automated
material handling helps in manpower reduction,
and technology providers are coming up with
more and more solutions in this context.Moreover,
it is a one-time investment, even though it is costly,
it will definitely pay back in the long run.
ATUL P. VERMASenior Manager – Dye House & H.T.C, Vardhman Spinning
and General Mills
Exhibitors this year at India ITME 2016 were
not new. I had already seen the displayed
technologies at earlier editions… All types
of machinery and technologies were same,
especially in the spinning and weaving
segments. What I feel lacked at this year’s event
was the exhibitors’ research upon Indian textile
market’s needs. I regularly visit foreign textile
exhibitions and find some new innovations in
textile machinery every time but I could not find
even one new technology or innovation that
ITME showcased in 2016th episode. Everything
is already available in the market. Exhibitors
must have known that the ITME takes place
once in 4 years but they did not study the
needs of Indian textile market before coming
up with their products. There was a large scope
of displaying some new innovations as we/
visitors, come for some unique machinery that
we generally do not find in the market.Besides,
I was also looking for some new weaving
options but left disappointed.
RAHUL BOHARAOwner – Rapier Unit, Swadeshi Group
This year’s India ITME proved to be extremely
fruitful for us. Since we are expanding our
capacity and were looking for circular knitting
machines, our search ended at the booth of
Young Knit machines from Fujian Province
Ruili Precision Machinery Co. We bought three
high-speed circular knitting machines from
them. This will help us increase our capacity
from current 6-8 lakh metres of fabric to lakh
metres per annum. Earlier, we had low speed
machines that restricted our productivity. Ifeel
such exhibitions should happen frequently and
TECH BYTE
in increased numbers, as it enhances our knowledge
and keeps us updated with latest innovations.
Moreover, such exhibitions should happen in North
India as well, especially in Delhi-NCR region.
RAMSEWAK SHARMAPlant Manager, Goodwear Fashions
I really liked the technologies displayed in the
spinning segment. I was very much excited with
one machinery from a Swiss company – RotorCraft.
The company demonstrated how they provide
innovative high quality spinning components and
machinery which simplify the spinning processes in
an industry that suffers from issues like labour cost
and staff shortage. I expect more such innovations
and beneficial technologies to be presented in
yarn/fabric segment at exhibitions like India ITME.
Footfall at these exhibitions depicts companies’
interest in new technologies and their eagerness
to invest in the same. Technology providers or
manufacturers should come up with latest updates,
machines that can replace labour, and with
increased sustainability concerns, should reduce
wastage. I hope for a better next version of ITME
after 4 years.
AMIT MITTALDirector, NKCM Spinners Pvt. Ltd.
ITME 2016 was a big disappointment for me. No
new considerable technologies were showcased at
the event. At the last edition, exhibitors focused on
new innovations in linen segment as well as in yarn
processing but the recent edition was completely
missing, anything that can be termed as ‘new’. I
visited ITME 2016 with a hope to see some new
innovations in weaving and spinning sections, but
the only machine that caught my attention was
rapier loom. Though it is an old machinery, but they
had come up with some notable modifications in
rapier loom and that was the standalone innovation
for me at the entire event. They even showcased us
how this modified machine runs yarns to the side of
looms through the rapiers. They named it “speedy
rapier loom machine” which was modified in order
to increase production and was way different from
the traditional ones. We are planning to invest in
this machine in near future. I was also hoping to
see some new trends in machines for jute products
manufacturing but sadly I did not find anything new
in this category also.
BIDYUT KUMAR SINGHADGM (Outsourcing), Birla Century
It was a great visit as I got to see some large array
of machines in weaving segment and found some
of them useful for my business. I was looking for
powerloom machines as we are planning to invest
in the new technology in this segment in order
to expand our capacity. And, to my expectations, I
found a machine that could go with my demand.
There was a Voltas dealer at the fair exhibiting some
powerloom machines. I spent some time at that stall
to understand what they were offering in terms of
innovation. I was, somehow, satisfied to see them
focusing on shuttle-less looms, reflecting a growing
trend. This is what an active market really needs
in weaving segment today to grow production
capacity. The solutions they listed were reflecting
needs of today’s market. I am looking forward to
exhibitors to come up with more technologies in
other categories too.
P. SURESH KUMARDirector, Pranav Textiles
Write your comments to us by 20th February 2017 at:
editor@stitchworld.net or post your views online through our
website: www.apparelresources.com
How did you set up IE Department at your
factory? Did you face any problem in setting
up the IE Department? How did you set the
eligibility criteria for IE staff?
Do you feel fresh college pass-outs are a better
choice over the experienced ones?
What is the staff-strength of your IE
Department? What should be the reporting
structure? Should an IE report to Production
Manager or General Manager?
TechByte
StitchWorld MARCH 2017 Question
India: Apparel exporter Superfine Knitters rolls out IPO
uperfine Knitters, one ofS the well-known fabric
and apparel manufacturers
based in Ludhiana, (India), is
coming up with its IPO (Initial
Public Offering) of Rs. 4.08
crore. Thrilled about the
move, Ajit Lakra, Managing
Director of the company,
who is also associated with
many industry associations
of the city, told StitchWorld,
“It is better to go in public
for funds rather than paying
interest to the banks. With
funds, we will however
improve overall, but there
are four key points that we
have on priority. These are:
Technology upgradation for
fabric manufacturing; Energy
audit; System upgradations
and Increased efficiency. All
these four areas will lead
to further profitability of
our company.”
Superfine Knitters is the first
apparel company in Ludhiana
which will be listed on an SME
platform of Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE). Itappears
to be a trend that apparel
companies across the nation
are now moving toward IPOs
as recently Jaipur-based
apparel manufacturer and
online retailer Nandani
Creation also listed itself for
the same amount.
Superfine Knitters, which
noted turnover of Rs. 84.28
crore in 2015-16, is catering
mainly to domestic market
and working with apparel
brands like Pepe Jeans,
Benetton, Numero Uno,
Crimsoune Club, Life Style,
Bioworld, etc. Out of its
total apparel production,
the apparel manufacturer
exports 25 per cent and will
continue the same strategy
in future also as Ajit says,
“Though there is growth
in export business but
domestic has more scope
and growth opportunities,
so we will have major
focus on domestic.”In
its total business, fabric
sales contribute almost
40 per cent.
Currently, the company has
two manufacturing units in
Ludhiana with workforce of
more than 500. The exporter
is also active on sustainability
front as it is using solarpower
in its factory which is not
common in Ludhiana’s textile
& apparel industry.
India: Kitex Garments to invest US $ 1 million in US
et-up in the yearS1992,India-based
kidswearmanufacturerKitex Garments –which
exports its products to
the US and European
markets, with per day
textile capacity of 50
tonnes and 2.70 units
of infant wear – has
decided to invest up
to US $ 1 million in the
Capital of Kitex USA
LLC during the fourth
quarter of 2017fiscal.
The company has also
announced of getting
an additional termloan
of Rs.17 crore under
A-TUFS (The Amended
Technology Upgradation
Fund Scheme) with a
tenure of five years.Sabu
Jacob, CMD of Kitex
Garments reportedly
said that the company
expects to record a
20 per cent revenue
growth in FY 2017.
Superfine Knitters is the first apparel company in Ludhiana to be listed on an SME platform of BSE
In the period
January-
November 2016,
India’s export of
T-shirts to the US
grew both in value
and volume terms.
The T-shirts
segment
witnessed a rise
of 2.49 per cent
quantity wise,
while value rose
by 0.38 per cent.
In the 11-month A downward trend Duringthe From January to
period of 2016, was recorded in review period, October 2016,
India noted surge China’sapparel Bangladeshnoted imports of ladies
in its export of export to the US considerable blouses by the EU
babies wear to the during the review amount of registered growth
US. An increase of period, both value- downfall in its of 9 per cent in
5.43 per cent was and volume-wise. apparel exports volumes, while the
recorded in value, While values to the US. While growth in value
while the volume decreased by values were down was 1.83 per cent.
rose by 17.57 (-) 8.38 per cent, by (-) 1.23 per
per cent. quantity was cent, volume also
also down by recorded negative
(-) 1.99 per cent. growth of (-) 0.17
per cent.
During the first
10 months of
2016, export of
undergarments
from Vietnam to
the EU saw 64.94
per cent growth
in quantity-term
while value
increased by
a whopping
72.22 per cent.
TRADE STATISTICS
NEWS TRACK
UK: Garment workers get half the legal minimum wage
ccording to anA investigation report,
apparel and textile
industry workers in
Britain are being paid
half the legal national
minimum wage. The
report claimed that
workers are getting paid
just £ 3 an hour against
the legal minimum wage
of £ 7.20 an hour for
workers aged 25 and
above. These workersare
employed with the firms
making products for
fashion retailers such as
River Island, New Look,
Boohoo and Missguided.
The report further
claimed that fashion
workers are getting
paid less because their
employers need to
compete with China and
Bangladesh.
An earlier report claimed
verbal abuse, bullying,
threats and humiliation
as well as inadequate
health and safety
standards for workers
in fashion factories.
Following the report of
alleged legal minimum
wage violation, New
Look has reportedly
stopped working with
its suppliers featured
in the report. While
Fashion Square, which
runs one of the factories,
denied that-anyone
was paid less than the
legal minimum wage.
However, Missguided
has promised action
against alleged
wage violation.
Sri Lanka: MAS Holdings inaugurates MAS Fabric Park
Vietnam: Hop Lun Vietnam to set up new factory
AS HoldingsM(MAS), a Sri Lankan
conglomerate and one of
the world’s most recognized
design-to-delivery solution
providers in textile and
clothing sector, hasunveiled
the plaque for its US $ 28
million MAS Fabric Park in
Giriulla, Sri Lanka.
The new industrial park will
manufacture knitted shoe
pparel manufacturerAHop Lun Vietnam
Company Limited recently
kicked off the construction
of a garment factory in the
northern province of Vinh
Phuc,Vietnam.
uppers as well as sportswear
and activewear products for
MAS’ strategic partner Nike,
and bring in US $ 65-75 million
in revenue for thecompany.
The apparel manufacturer
hopes to remove the old
machinery, refurbish the
old factory and set up new
equipment according to
MAS standards over the
next 12 months. It may be
Sprawling over an areaof9.7 hectares in Van Quan
and Dinh Chu communes of
Lap Thach district, Vietnam,
the plant is expected to
employ 2,500 workers once
operational, thus helping
mentioned here thatapparel
manufacturing had begun
at the location in 1974 with
the establishment ofthe
Mattegama Textile Mill.The 50-
acre park will also be used as
an entrepôt logistics hub.
“At MAS, we need to expand
our capacity, and because
of the proximity of this
location to Thulhiriya and
Pannala, where we have
manufacturing operations,
this industrial site in Giriulla
is ideally located for our
expansion plans to export
textiles and clothing,”
said Mahesh Amalean,
Chairman,MAS.
Currently, the second largest
supplier for Nike worldwide
and one of their key supply
chain partners, the company
seeks an opportunity to
double their business as Nike
grows their business from US
$ 30 billion today to US $ 50
billion by 2020.
locals increase their
incomes and boosting the
province’s social-economic
development.
The new facility projects
to earn nearly US $ 38.2
million from exports and
contribute US $ 6.5million
to the State Budget per year.
Hop Lun Vietnam is the
third wholly foreign-
invested company to invest
in the Lap Thach district of
Vietnam. Set up in 1992, the
company now has factories
in China, Bangladesh and
Indonesia with over 28,000
workers who produce
15 million ofproducts
each month.
The new industrial park in Giriulla will manufacture knitted shoe uppers, sportswear and activewear products for Nike
The new facility Vinh Phuc, province projects to earn nearly US $ 38.2 million from exports
Vietnam: Quang Viet to add production lines to enhance capacity
ietnamese garmentVmanufacturer Quang Viet
Enterprise Co. has revealed
its plans to spend between
US $ 3-6 million in current
year in an effort to expand
its capacity.
“The amount will be much
lower than last year’s US $ 10
million, as the company has
almost reached its near-term
capacity expansion target.
It would mainly be used for
establishing new production
lines and purchasing
equipment at the existing
plants in Vietnam, instead
of building new plants.
We expect the expansion
would stimulate this year’s
output to grow between 8
and 10 per cent annually
from last year’s 9.07 million
units of clothing,” informed
a manufacturer.
The company is planning to
add 15 production lines at
its plant in Vietnam’s Tien
Giang Province and build
15 lines at its new plant in
Long An Province, which is
set to begin production in
the first quarter of current
fiscal. The new production
lines would mainly produce
New production lines would mainly produce high-end down jackets for Adidas AG and North Face Inc.
high-end down jackets
for the company’s global
sportswear and functional
clothing clients, including
Adidas AG and North
Face Inc.
Also, it is mulling to
acquire a knitwear plant in
Vietnam this year to raise
its competitiveness and
market presence in the
global garment industry.
The new plant would help
the company reach more
clients and diversify its
product portfolio further.
Quang Viet manufactures
down, primaloft, thermoball
and padded jackets, as well
as jackets made of goose
down and duck down for
global brands.
Vietnam: Scrapping women’s work benefits invites public wrath
fficials from the Viet Nam GeneralLabourOConfederation have voiced concern over a recent
proposal by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social
Affairs (MoLISA) which is preparing a draftamendment
to the Labour Law, cancelling a provision allowing
female workers with babies as young as 12 months to
get an hour off during the day for breast feeding, and
a 30-minute break during menstruation. The move
has been strongly opposed by the association and is
demanding for revocation of the maternity benefits to
which female workers areentitled.
Pham Xuan Hong, Chairman – HCM City Association
of Garment,Textile, Embroidery and Knitting
Workers opined,“The issue is how to raise productivity
rather than lengthening working hours.The morale and
health of workers are also very important, and if they
have no time to take care of their babies, the efficiency
of their work may be hampered.”
Netherlands: Six new companies connect with ZDHC programme
ri Lanka’s apparel majorSMAS Holdings; Swiss
certification company Oeko-Tex; and TÜV SÜD, one
of the world’s leading
services provider in
testing, inspection, audit
and certification, are
among six new companies
that commit to the goal of
zero discharge of hazardous
chemicals in the textile
and footwear value chain,
demonstrating strengthened
commitment to sustainable
chemistry within the sector.
“Since January 2015, our
contributor base has doubled
and I’m delighted to see
this growing commitment
from the textile and
footwear industries. Today
we also welcome our first
contributors based in
Sri Lanka and Thailand,
further expanding our
geographic scope,”
says Frank Michel, Executive
Director, ZDHC.
The other three companies
that are now ZDHC affiliated
are ICEC – The Quality
Certification Institute for
the Leather Sector, the only
certified Institute worldwide
specialized for the leather
sector; Siam Pro Group
of Companies, a leading
specialty chemical company
with an extensive portfolio
to fully serve the textile
industry – headquartered in
Thailand; and The Fiber and
Textile Chemicals Technology
Division – A Division of
the Industrial Technology
Research Institute (ITRI),
one of the world’s leading
technology R&D institutions,
aiming to innovate a better
future for society. With the
addition of the following six
companies, the total number
of contributors to the ZDHC
Programme is now 56.
Commenting on the
affiliation, Georg Dieners,
General Secretary, Oeko-
Tex said, “We have long
been committed to helping
companies reduce the use of
toxic chemicals throughout
their supply chains. We look
forward to engaging actively
with the ZDHC and its other
members to achieve the
milestones set forth in the
Joint Roadmap to eliminate
hazardous chemicals from
the supply chain by 2020.”
MoLISA is preparing a draft amendment to the Labour Law to cancel the provision of allowing female workers with babies as young as 12 months to get an hour off during the day for breast feeding
Disagreeing with this proposal, LêÐình Quang, Deputy
Head, Labour Relationships Department under the
Labour Federation reacted,“It’s a very humane policy.
In the past few days, many labourers have expressed
their objection to the removal of such benefits, and
I think they are reasonable, and I also think relevant
Government agencies need to listen to theirvoice.”
HàÐình Ban, Head of Legislation Department of The
Labour Ministry whoheads the drafting team explained
at a recent seminar that many enterprises suggested
dropping the current regulations because they raise
production costs and complicate work arrangements.
He explained that the amendment is meant to
harmonize the relationship between the employer and
the employee.The total number of contributors to the ZDHC Programme is now 56
India: Government increases loan coverage to MSEs
he IndianTGovernment has
approved a ‘package’ to
support Micro and Small
Enterprises (MSEs) and
increased the Corpus of
Credit Guarantee Trust
Fund for Micro and Small
Enterprises (CGTMSE)
from Rs. 2,500 crore to
Rs. 7,500crore.
The decision has been
taken with an intention
to enhance the quantum
of Credit Guarantee to
larger number of MSEs.
Apart from approval
of the package, the
Government has also
given its nod to the
coverage of the loans
covered under the Credit
Guarantee Scheme,
under which the amount
has been increased from
Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 2 crore
for MSEs.
Tirupur Exporter’s
Association (TEA)
President Raja M
Shanmugham has
expressed gratitude
towards the Indian
Government for this
decision as it would be
much helpful to the
Tirupur cluster where
large number of Micro
and Small Enterprises
are existing, carrying
out job and working
as back bone to the
exporting units.
The enhancement would
also help to attract new
entrepreneurs to set
start up units.
Bangladesh: Netherlands continues to help textile Companies in adopting water-saving technologies
India: TEA welcomes restoration of Duty Drawback Rates for babies wear
ccording to a recentA report – Bangladesh-
The Netherlands: 50 Years
of Water Cooperation – a
number of Bangladeshi
textile companies have
adopted water-saving
technologies to make the
most precise use of water.
The report was published
recently by partners for
Water Programme of the
Netherlands in cooperation
with the Bangladesh
Government.
It may be noted that
Bangladesh is one of the
highest water consuming
irupur Exporters’TAssociation (TEA) has
thanked Indian Government
for restoration of Duty
Drawback Rates for babies
wear, from 7.3 per cent to
7.6 per cent,effective from
January 15,2017.
countries as far as washing
and dyeing of fabrics are
concerned. Global practice
of water consumption is
70 litres/kg of washing and
dyeing of fabrics whereas,
Bangladeshi textile mills
use a whopping 250 litres/
kg with an approximate
usage of 1,500billion
litres of groundwater a
year. Hence, in order to
encourage textile mills of
Bangladesh, Netherlands is
planning to extend an
Innovation Fund which
aims to stimulate local wet
processing factories to start
The Duty Drawback Rates for
babies wear was reducedfrom
7.6 per cent to 7.3 per cent
and the value cap was also
slashed from Rs.34 to Rs.29
while announcing the new
Drawback Rates on October
31, 2016.
piloting cleaner production
technologies with a focus
on water sustainability.
Factories can submit their
demonstration projects
to the Innovation Fund,
expected to be managed by
‘Textile Technology Business
Center’ located in BGMEA
(Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association) building.
The report also highlighted
names of millers like Mondol
Fabrics, DBL Group and
Fakir Apparels that have
adopted the water-saving
technologies.
“The restoration of rates
for babies garments would
increase the competitiveness
when the knitwear exporters
are operating under wafer
thin margin to sustain in the
global market,” said Raja M
Shanmugham, President,TEA.
Bangladeshi textile mills use a whopping 250 litres of water per kg of fabric
o uphold any successfulTmarketing/selling strategy
by executing the “apple cart”, it is
imperative to have the support
from manufacturing sector by
providing required volume of
product with quality on time.
Since both domestic and export
readymade garment sectors are
wide open with huge demands,
the manufacturing sector cannot
be allowed to limp.
Production Manager –The Corner Stone
To establish an efficient apparel
manufacturing environment, its
foundation should be stronger,
which can be done by none other
than the production manager. It is
his skills and capability that make
the difference as he is the critical
bridge between the company’s
financial goals and workers.
The formula in physics for
Pressure = Force/Area, holds
good in the garment factory by
the act of production manager.
In a manufacturing environment,
‘Force’ can be considered as the
units to be produced to meet
the shipment date while ‘Area’
is the number of days available
to produce the same. If the
production manager manages
the Force (= units to be produced
in the time frame) consistently
well throughout the Area
(= number of days available),
the pressure is nominal every
day on everybody. On the other
hand, if he ill-manages the force
– while the Area (= number of
days) is automatically getting
reduced since the shipment date
cannot slide – the Pressure will
shoot up. Subsequently, the top
management will have to be on
their toes to avert a possible air
lifting/cancellation of shipment
by putting workers on overtime or
do partial air-lifting of goods – all
at an additional cost.
So, the Presence of a skilful,
vigilant and sensible production
manager with a go-getter
attitude is very important on the
production floor.
The traits and the deliverables of an ideal production manager
Of course, he/she has to take
many avatars at the same
time to efficiently manage the
show. Even though there are
functional departments in the
organization such as planning,
quality, technical,maintenance,
Innovative methods of marketing and selling of consumer goods are the order of the current business world… Hatching of
different business models which aim to fast-spread the marketing and retailing of products are so frequent and similar to
the gush of smartphone models. They compete with each other to offer extreme levels of shopping comfort and satisfaction
to the consumers. One of the biggest consumer goods, the apparel (sector) is also poised much ahead in “selling strategies”
over“manufacturing strategies” nowadays. In tune with this trend, apparel professionals are highly attracted to the marketing
sector than manufacturing field, leaving brain-drain to the latter. Even traditional syllabus in the apparel colleges to educate
manufacturing aspects to the students to become production managers has largely been replaced with the conglomerate
of marketing and selling techniques. At least in India, the educated lot is deserting the apparel manufacturing management
jobs sector, which is already a non-preferential job sector for workers who aim tech-savvy manufacturing jobs (electronics,
software, automobile, etc.) over garment making. Currently, the priority of research in the “consumer product management
laboratory” is being shifted towards improving marketing aspects than production output. But, can selling happen without
manufacturing? Jayapal Nair, Apparel Manufacturing Expert, Consultant and Author shares the vital characteristics for
the production manager...
To establish an efficient apparel manufacturing environment,its foundation should be stronger, which can be done by none other than the production manager. The presence of a skilful, vigilant and sensible production manager witha go-getter attitude is very important on the production floor.
ANATOMY OF AN EFFICIENT
APPAREL PRODUCTION MANAGER
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
industrial engineering,
human resources,
compliance, administration,
merchandising, etc., the
production manager has to
coordinate through all these
departments based on real
facts and figures to achieve
speedy solutions that can
translate into production
output at a higher efficiency
level.
The required traits and
corresponding deliverables
are describedbelow:
1. Accounting controlskills
• Monitor input/output
figures correctly.
• Co-relate betweenwork-in-progress figures
to correctly assess
production completion
period and formulate
strategies to restore slide,
if any.
• Compare actual
resources (man, machine
and material) against
budgeted resources
with an eye for cost
reduction and reduction
of wastage.
1. Human resource
management skills
• To handle workers’
grievances without
any favouritism and to
maintain discipline.
• To motivate and generate
a sense of ownership in
workers.
• Be an empathetic leader
to win respect from
workers.
• Precise mass
communication skill to
communicate targets,
objectives, company
policies and emergencies.
2. Administrative skills
• To keep an eye on the
support supplies like
transportation, food,
housekeeping, etc. to
demand its on-time
performance.
• To learn and understand
health, safety, social,
security compliances
and monitor its
implementation in his
area of command.
• To understand standards
and systems, and
maintain firmly without
deviation.
4. Coreskills
a) Industrial
engineering: To apply
industrial engineering
techniques to improve
productivity, develop
skills, and effective
utilization of resources.
Training skills to
develop the manpower
under him.
b) Quality engineering/
assurance: To evaluate
the quality report, do
root cause analysis,
formulate corrective
actions, implement and
monitor its adequacy
using the resources in
hand.
c) Maintenance:
Knowledge
on machinery,
attachments, and their
effective utilization
to reduce manpower
or to improve quality.
Encourage proper
usage of machines
by workers to reduce
breakdowns.
d) Technical: Knowledge
on garment making
methods. Ability to
understand customer
requirements.
4. Personality
• Ability to work under
constraints and ability to
convert constraints into
opportunities from the
past lessons learned.
• Ability to respond quickly
to actual situations and
demand support in time
to avert eventualities.
• An attitude to learn best
practices from elsewhere
and try to implement
for the betterment of
production process.
• Self-learning attitude.
• Ability to understand
verbal, written
communication and
to reply precisely with
supporting facts and
figures.
Focus on enhancing output and saving the cost
All the above traits are
important for a production
manager to perform the
job successfully and lift
up the efficiency curve.A
professionally educated (or
educated through experience
from an organized setup)
person can develop
these traits quickly
and can do justice
to this role in the
real sense. Besides,
he/she should be
entrusted with a
limited number
of assembly lines
(maximum 3-4) to
focus on all the activities and
achieve higher efficiency. Ifhe
spreads his attention to many
assembly lines, he will miss
out many focal points and
those will torpedo the higher
target. Further, he has to hide
behind conventional excuses
for not achieving the targets.
A small calculation on cost saving
If a production manager
handles six assembly lines
and produces 500 pieces
at 40 per cent efficiency
each, he will producea total
of 3,000 pieces a day. If a
right production manager
is entrusted with three lines
where he has the possibility
to hit 80 per cent, he will
make 1,000 pieces per line
which is 3,000 pieces from
three lines, using much fewer
resources of machine and
manpower. Definitely, his
value addition is higher than
the other model.
A trim and slim model of
manufacturing will have
the potential to earn higher
revenue. Attracting the rightly
qualified and motivated
production managers to the
manufacturing side is the first
step to building efficiency
and compete with the market
needs. As the adage goes:
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is
not built in aday!"
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
DESIGNING A LEAN PROCESS – I
Principles and Strategies
Lean has become a key transformational buzzword in the apparel manufacturing industry. However, a lot of confusion exists in
understanding the principles and applying them practically on the shopfloor. Understanding the connection between strategy
and principles is the key to implement‘Lean’ on the shopfloor. In this series of articles, Anand Deshpande,Founder andCEO
– Admaa Consulting connects the principles with measurables and strategies to achieve those measurables on the apparel
shopfloor. In short, it provides a structured approach to design a Lean process and suggest major factors and strategies to
consider in doingso.
s one enters an apparelA factory,he/she can see the
following scenes:
• Materials waiting to be
processed in front of a
machine or an operator.
• Operator being starved of
materials (idle time for the
operator).
• Excess material in finished
goods super market waiting
to be sold.
• Longer delivery times due
to excessive WIP and colour
clearance issues.
• Quality issues indicated by
piles of garments waiting to
be reworked.
Any production manager would
want the factory to be in perfect
harmony by balancing operations,
and optimally considering the
company’s objectives and goals.
Lean process design creates
harmonic balance within and
between processes. The three
broad steps to design a Lean
process are: First, to establish the
guiding principles for designing
a Lean process, define goals and
objectives of lean design process,
and identify the measurables
at plant and department levels.
Second, to devise a plant-wide
strategy; and the third step is
to devise a department-wide
strategy. In this first part of the
three-part series, we will discuss
the first three steps…
1. Establish guiding principles
for designing a Leanprocess
A lean process is an outcome of
operational excellence which is
a result of application of specific
tools and techniques day in and
day out.
Generally speaking, the guiding
principles are:
• Eliminate waste continually.
• Align production capacity to
match the customer demand.
• Increase the speed of
the material through the
production system.
• Standardize processes for
consistent results.
• Reduce WIP (Work in
Progress) between and
within processes.
• Introduce positive
constraints.
• Reduce transfer distance
of materials between and
within departments.
• Workplace organization.
2. Lean process guiding
principles transform
themselves into
objectives forsuccessful
implementation. The
objectivesare:
• Waste Elimination.
• Produce Just-In-Time.
Producing to Just-In-Time means
producing the required part or
component in the right time and
in the right amount.
• Detecting abnormalities for
continuous improvement.
Detecting an abnormality in
time saves a lot of dollars in the
long as well as the short run.
Hence making problems visible
The material handling within the plant should be reducedas much as possiblebecause it is largely non-value add. Therefore, the transfer distance (material conveyance distance) between workstations and department must be kept minimum.
is on the pillars of successful
production management.
3. Identify the
measurables at plant
and department levels
Process measurables
benchmark the successof
the Lean process design.
To identify the process
measurables, relationship
between elements of
production and process
design must be established.
The following are the key
measurables that support
the objectives of a sound
production system atplant-
level:
a) Increase value add %.
b) Increase value add
floor space %.
c) Reduce dock-to-dock
time.
d) Reduce transfer
distances.
e) Reduce inventory in
the organization.
f) ) Reduce
changeover time.
g) Improve FTT %.
Table 1:Sevenfactors to reduce waste duringproduction:
Waste Factors to be considered for designing Lean process.
Transportation Unnecessary storage spaces increase handling. Handling time also
increases if carriers are too big.
Inventory Overproduction, redundant buffers and risk-averse production
tendency can cause inventory.
Motion The workstation configuration, line layouts, conveyors, etc. cause
too much strain (mental and physical) on operators.
Waiting Line imbalance (in terms of cycle time between operators), batching
tendency and long distances between processes.
Overproduction Extra space between machines and departments invites
overproduction. Performance management solely based on build to
volume can increase occurrences of overproduction.
Over-processing Conservative process design or machine tolerances and
lackadaisical attitude to first time right cause over-processing.
Defects Process non-standardization, poor process design, workstation
layout and operator training.
Figure 1:Flow chart of activities that must be conducted to support Just-In-Timeproduction
• Quick Changeover
• Process
Standardization
• Visual Management
•Skilled Operators
• Reduce inventory
• Introduce supermarkets if necessary
• Reduce lot sizes
• One-pieceFlow
•Improve Overall equipment effectiveness % (OEE%)
• Reduce MTBF (Mean Time BetweenFailures)
• Reduce MTTR(Mean Time ToRepair)
• Balance line per the takt time
•EliminateNon-Valueadd activities
• Introduce efficient
handling of materials
Level Production ImproveFlowTotalProductive Maintenance
Align customer demand to productionrate
Produce Just-In-Time
Each measurable is described
herewith:
a) Increase Value Add%
An activity that changes the
fit, form and function of the
product or a service is called
Value Add. The Value Add %,
is the percentage of the Value
Add Time in the Total Process
Time (or ThroughputTime).
Value Add % = ( Total Value
Add Time/Total ProcessTime)
x 100
b) Increase ValueAdd
Floor Space%
Value Addition of a product
must be supported by
machines and operators
The three broad steps to design a Lean processare: Establish the guiding principles for designing a Lean process, define goals and objectives of lean design process, and identify the measurables at plant and department levels; devise a plant-wide strategy; and devise a department-wide strategy.
who expand cycle time in
mostly adding value to the
product. To add value one
needs workstations (if it is a
labour-intensive operation)
and machines.
Value Add Floor Space % =
Percentage of Floor Space
occupied by workstations
or machines (equipment)
relative to the entire plant.
c) Reduce Dock-to-Dock
Time
Dock-to-Dock time measures
the material flow in the value
stream. It is the time taken for
components or raw materials
from the dock (receiving
end) through production to
shipment of finished goods
from the shipping dock. It
can also be looked at as the
speed of conversion of raw
materials into finished goods
within the value stream.
As Dock-to-Dock time
reduces, speed of flowalso
increases.
Dock-to-Dock Time = (Raw
Materials + WIP + Finished
Goods Stock)/(Sales During
Week/Hours PerWeek)
d) Reduce Transfer
Distances
The material handling within
the plant should be reduced
as much as possible because
it is largely non-value add
activity. Therefore, the
transfer distance (material
conveyance distance)
between workstations and
department must be kept
minimum.
e) Reduce Inventory in
theOrganization
WIP to SWIP report shows
the inventory of the product
in the plant. While SWIP is
Standard Work in Progress,
WIP is Work in Progress.
The purpose of tracking
WIP to SWIP report isto:
• Determine the
inventory balance on
the production line.
• Measure the
effectiveness of the
pull system.
• Support workplace
organization.
Assuming that end-to-end
inventory is fixed at 2000units
and actual inventory is 2600,
the WIP to SWIP Ratio is:
WIP to SWIP Ratio =
2600/2000 = 1.3 (slightly
more inventory than
planned). Ideally the WIP to
SWIP Ratio must be 1.
f) Reduce Changeover
Time
Over the years, the buyers
have replaced one product
of larger batch sizes to
various products of smaller
lot sizes, it is imperative
to reduce the changeover
time in the production
system between old and
new products.
Figure 2:Flow chart of activities that must be conducted to support abnormalitydetection
•U-shaped lines
•S-shaped lines
• Aisles for maintenance and operators
• Keep stationsclose to eachother
•See machine problems
• Inform about productdefects
• Visualinformation centre
•Eliminate barriers to see through lines
• Introduce threelevels of VisualManagement
• Machine stopsafter detectingabnormality
• Autocorrecting
Configure Line AndonSystemsVisual Managment
Autonomation
Detect Abnormalities
Table 2: Showsthe key measurables that support the objectives of the soundproductionsystem at department level
Elements Metric Reviewfrequency When
SafetyAccidents perday Daily Morningmeeting
NearMiss Daily Morningmeeting
Quality
FTT % (First Time Through)
Daily Morningmeeting
Rejections Everyhour Top of thehour
Delivery
Jobs perhour Everyhour Top of thehour
Volume perday Daily Morningmeeting
OEE% Daily Morningmeeting
WIP to SWIPratio Daily Morningmeeting
CostHours per unit Weekly Weeklymeeting
Units perperson FirstMeeting Morningmeeting
MoraleAbsenteeism% FirstMeeting Morningmeeting
Attrition% Weekly Morningmeeting
Environment 5S audit score Weekly Morningmeeting
Follow-up article on Lean Design and Strategy talks about manifesting the hypothesis into a plant-wide strategy and provides guidelines to execute the same.
SMED(Single-Minute
Exchange of Dies) is used
to reducechangeover
time. In the industry,
the changeover time
varies from 1-2 hours
to 12 hours.This can
be reduced to lessthan
10 minutes.
g) Improve FTT (First
Time Through)%
FTT, expressed in termsof %, is measured to check
whether the products
are manufactured right
first time.
The purpose of tracking
FTT isto:
• Determine the ability of
the unit to manufacture
right first time.
• Expose the hidden
factory (scrap, rework,
and rejections).
• Measure the
effectiveness of
standardized work
(non-varying cycle
times).
• Focus on capability of
the process.
Eg: Assuming that an apparel
is produced simplistically in
sequential operations like
Cutting, Sewing and Finishing
and the FTT for each of these
departments is 90%, 90% and
90%, the FTT % for the entire
production line would be 0.9
x 0.9 x 0.9 x 100 = 0.729 x 100
= 72.9 %.
It means that only 72.9% of
the garments move through
the production line without
being reworked.
The first step establishes
a firm hypothesis and
a guiding vision to run
the production floor.Not
only does it firm-up the
philosophy behind the
running of the plant, italso
provides tactical clues to
manifest the vision.
Flow-centric view of
production management is
created by connecting the
vision, guiding principles,
principles translated into
objectives and finally
objectives giving way to
measurables that define
daily production tactics.
TECHNOLOGY 4.O
Sewing involves complex tasks of manipulating the fabric, the material and its orientation through an industrial sewing machine.
The sewing process may involve one or more than one ply. Sewing decorative patterns or attaching patches, appliqués requires
movement of fabrics in x-y coordinate in respect to needle point. The pattern tacking (earlier called x-y tacker) cyclic sewing
machine, which has clamp feed for fabric movement, is an example of the same. Joining more than one ply along fabric edges
requires continuous sewing machine, where the direction of feeding of fabric is straight and away from the sewing operator.
It is the operator who manipulates the fabric direction to sew curve and other shapes of material. Over the time, the process
of guiding of material during sewing has evolved; from cam follower to mechatronics technology to be precise. And now
the recent developments in vision sewing technology have opened up a new frontier in automated sewing. Dr. Prabir Jana,
NIFT Delhi and RickFrye,Directorof Engineering,Brother International write...
VISION SEWING:
A TECHNOLOGY WITH A FUTURE
What is Vision Sewing?
When we think of the term ‘vision
sewing’, we assume it involves
some type of sewing machine with
a camera and rightly so, but what
is not understood is how the two
work together. While there is no
clear technical definition in the
sewn products industry for ‘vision
sewing’ we can say that vision
sewing often involves an industrial
camera and a processor with
software that is integrated with the
machine controller of the industrial
sewing machine to perform
‘complex tasks’.When we talk about
vision sewing, we are talking about
either conventional single needle
lockstitch or chainstitch machines
integrated with vision systems or
an electronically programmable
pattern sewing machine integrated
with vision systems.
Brother Vision Sewing System
An electronic programmable
sewing machine is equipped with
a work holder to hold the work-
piece which it moves around in a
pre-programmed sewing path or
pattern. Such a setup requires a
processor to control the operation
and stepper or servo motors to
control the movement to create
the desired sewing patterns.
Brother vision sewing system
is furthering de-skilling of the
pattern sewing machine. It is a
programmable sewing machine
that employs an industrial
personal computer (PC) with
software,custom camera,and
lighting, to automatically create
a stitch pattern around the
perimeter of a regular or irregular
shaped object (patch, label,
appliqué, etc.) within the sewing
area of the machine. These systems
can cover areas from 220mm x
100m to 300mm x 200mm. The
vision sewing system is specifically
designed for use to attach items
such as labels, patches, appliqués
of any shape to various fabrics or
garments. Since customization is
growing, it can prove to be a big
market for vision sewing machines.
The vision sewing system creates
the required sewing pattern ofthe
image within the machine sewing
area by comparing the colour of
the image border to the colour of
the background fabric orgarment.
This process of generating the
patch image, creating the sewing
pattern, and transferring it to the
electronic programmable sewing
machine typically requires three
seconds or less, depending on
the quantity of stitches of the
Sewing speed of up to 2,800 stitches per minute can be achieved by Brother Vision Sewing System.
The vision camera
views the image within
the machine sew area
(field ofview)
Background
fabric or garmentAngle of cameraview
Patches
Vision SewingSystem
sewing pattern programme
generated. Sewing speed
of up to 2,800 stitches per
minute can be achievedin
such a system, although it is
dependent on the product
being sewn (material) and
the thread being used. The
type of work clamps used for
the machine is dependent
on the application. There are
various stitch types available
with the machine such as
straight or zig-zag whichcan
easily be selected. In straight
stitch option, the stitch length
can be selected on 0.1 mm
increments, whereas inzig-zag
stitch, the user can choose
either a ‘V’ or ‘N’ type stitch
that allows a stitch width ofup
to 12mm. The machine even
allows the user to choose a
starting point of the pattern
within 8 different locations
around the perimeter of the
patch orshape.
A sewing pattern is created
each time an item is presented
to the machine for sewing,
making it easier to attach
regular- or irregular-shaped
patches or labels.The
largest size patch, letter, or
appliqué that can be sewn
is limited only by thesewing
area (300mm x 200mm) of
the machine. Whereas the
smallest size patch,letter,
or an appliqué that can be
detected and sewn is within
the area of 50mm. The vision
sewing system is capable of
sewing multiple patches such
as letters or numbers in one
operation as long as they fit
within the machine sew area.
To hold the patch to the
garment while it isbeing
sewn, either the patch is
applied with adhesive at
its back or many patch’s,
applique’s, letters, numbers,
can be purchased with an
adhesive backing already
applied,while other methods
for adhesives/applicators
include tapes,dots, and
spray adhesives.
Watch the working live at
(http://www.brother-usa.
com/IndPrintSewEmb/
VisionSewing)
The key benefits of vision
system include a consistent
sewing speed for multiple
patch sewing, automatic
sewing of multi-layered
letters/numbers, improved/
less handling of the garment
or fabric. In addition to this,
handling the machine requires
no operator sewing skills,
while a single operator can
operate multiple machines at
any point oftime.
ThreadVision System from SoftWear Automation
ThreadVision is a patented,
high-speed vision system
specifically designed for
fabrics. The system tracks
individual threads in each
fabric, redefining the
traditional coordinate system
to thread-count, allowing for
high accuracy panel tracking
regardless of deformation.
Automatic sewing machine
from SoftWear Automation
combines a patented
ThreadVision System with
multi-degree freedom feed
dogs to fully automate the
sewing process. By controlling
the feed and orientation ofthe
fabric using advanced dogs,
the automatic sewingmachine
ensures both reliability
and repeatability removing
piece-to-piece variations from
the garment manufacturing
industry while at the same
time reducing operation costs
for the manufacturer.
Watch the working live at
(https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Uk3kNnHZdl0)
Vetron AutoSeam
China-based sewing machine
manufacturer VETRON, a
European division of Typical
International Corporation,
has developed another form
of vision sewing where two
plies of material are placed
at any conventional lockstitch
or chainstitch machine and
it is guided through the
sewing machine (by the vision
system) on an intelligent,
stitch-by-stitch basis while
the two materials are
sewn together.
Vetron AutoSeam – an
automated sewing machine –
upgraded from the company's
standard sewing machine.
It is capable of automated
sewing as it can track the
movement of fabric with
intelligent cameras and
control the movement of
the fabric under the needle
on a stitch-by-stitch basis.
AutoSeam identifies, adjusts
and sews together the edges
of the material layers stitch-
by-stitch. The machine is
focused on processing middle
to heavy materials used
mainly in the automotive,
leather or furniture industry.
Watch the working live at
(https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=1GUhlfjqQmQ)
The image processing system
for the VETRON AutoSeam is
designed to be acost-effective
solution capable of finding the
material edge position, guide
the mechanical parts to move
the material under the needle
Vetron AutoSeam can track the movement of fabric with intelligent cameras and also control it under the needle on a stitch-by-stitch basis.
Working of Brother Vision SewingSystem
PC display with
productimage
Visioncamera
andlighting
Appliqué / Patch / Label
The common feature between VetronAutoSeam and ThreadVision System is additionallighting forVision System.Whilethe ThreadVision System uses red colour diffused lighting, the AutoSeam uses green colour flashlight.
and track the position of the
material to ensure the precise
sewing at every step.
Image processing systems
require enhanced
illumination of the work
piece for image capture.High
inspection speeds typically
require sensitive camera and
powerful lenses. In many
cases, the easier option is
to modify or improve the
lighting situation to boost
the image brightness. There
are a variety of options for
attaining greater image
brightness: increasing the
ambient light and sculpting
the light using lenses or
flashes to create a suitable
light source are twoexamples.
The common feature
between Vetron AutoSeam
and ThreadVision System is
additional lighting for Vision
System.While the ThreadVision
System uses red colour diffused
lighting, the AutoSeam uses
green colour flashlight.
But it's not just the lighting
strength that's important.
The path that the light moves
through the lens to the
camera matters too. During
image processing, the
reflections off the smooth
surfaces may actually be
desired to deliver high light
intensities on straight, low-
reflecting surfaces. Forobjects
with many surfaces reflecting
in various direction, diffuse
light is better. The massive
computation required by
AutoSeam high speed vision
system is provided with an
embedded system control box
that processes and controls
the position and movement of
the material and also machine
operations. The specialized
software for AutoSeam
controls everything in the
operation fromcapturing
the images, processing the
images, to controlling the
movement and tracking
the material.
Operational area to
the future…
While the Brother Vision
Sewing System is for
cyclic operation, both
ThreadVision and AutoSeam
address the continuous
sewing operation.AutoSeam
demonstration video
shows that a convex and
another concave edge can
be joined together without
any human interference.
Currently the Brother
Vision Sewing System can
work only with contrasting
colour of patches and sews
complete outline of patches.
An upgrade of image
processing and tweaking of
software program in near
future can possibly work
with similar colour patches
and sewing of selective
edges of the patches.
ThreadVision System from SoftWear Automation
Vetron AutoSeam uses green colour flashlight
START-UP
An important engineof growth in theeconomy,start-upentrepreneursare
usually characterizedwith their out-of-the-box idea, risk-taking attribute,
self-confidenceanddecisionmakingability. Is it really thatbright idea that
comestomindlikeaflashof lightor is it theproblem-solvingideabyfinding
thegaps that comesover aperiod of understandingandexperience in the
industry? Experience gained over the years in the apparel industry acted
as business incubator or accelerator which in turn helped Sanjay Yadav,
Chairman,DripsApparels to takeaplungeto test hisentrepreneurial skills.
Inan exclusive tête-à-tête with TeamStitchWorld, Sanjay reminisces the
journey of his learning experience as an employee that eventually helped
himinsustaininganenterprise...
from the time I worked with Benetton
as part of their core team, where I was
responsible for setting up a factory to
produce world-class garments from
scratch. I simultaneously worked on
two parameters, one was developing
vendors for sourcing fabric around
Delhi-NCR, and secondly to identify and
rent the building to house for a world-
class facility to manufacture garments.”
Benetton at that time, was planning to
start a joint venture in India with DCM
group.
During his association with Benetton,
he recruited people and trained them,
which actually abetted him during the
recruitment of managerial staff at his
own facility.
“My regular visits to Italy during my
tenure with Benetton, to work with
the automated screen printing units
right vision and a right executionAare alone not enough for setting up
a new garment manufacturing facility…
A lot of obstacles right from raising of
capital, sourcing of land, machinery set
up to acquiring of workforce stands in
front for tackling.
The first-generation entrepreneur of
his family, Sanjay always had a dream
of setting up his own garment factory
after completing his education. He owes
the successful running of his business
to the practical learnings he gained on
the shopfloor in different organizations,
healthy relations with his previous
employers, and the exposure to fabrics
and textile industry.
Time-traveller, Sanjay elucidates the
learnings at every organization that
he worked with… “When I decided to
start of my own, I used my experience
actually inspired me to have a screen
printing unit of my own and when
I got the opportunity in 2003-04, I
grabbed it,” informs Sanjay.As a result,
Shahana Fashion (P) Ltd. was born
with support from his family.
The unit contains equipment like
sublimation printing machine, M&R
screen printing machine, M&R curing
machine, and M&R manual screen
printing machine. The printing facility
now offers its services to buyers like
Espirit, Ralph Lauren, FCUK and is also
approved by PVH Corporation.
This strengthened his conviction to
start a garmenting business of his
own and his dream took shape during
his association with Triburg, New
Delhi as a Divisional Merchandising
Head when he worked with clients
like Ann Taylor and LOFT and
START-UP ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
TRANSFORMATION FROM
LEARNING TO EXECUTION
understand their need for
quality fashion, resulting
in Shahana Creations,
which came into existence
in the year 2006, catering
to brands like Tom Taylor
in collaboration with
Asmara, but the unit
closed as quickly due to
near-recessionary trends
in both the US and the
EU, money constraint and
in-experience of managing
difficult times.
However, the zeal to be a
successful entrepreneur
did not wane and Drips
Apparels was launched
with a shift of focus to serve
domestic brands like Arvind
Lifestyle, Numero Uno,
Wills Lifestyle, Ashish Soni,
JJ Walaya, VDot (Li& Fung)
in menswear, ladieswear
and children wear. The
core strategy was born
out of boom and vibrancy
of domestic brands at
that time.
Drips Apparels took
the advantage of the
opportunity and started
manufacturing for online
brands like Freecultr and
Jabong.“We are now again
moving to export in all
segments because of the
changing market dynamics
since last one year. We also
undertake order quantity as
low as 500 pieces in order
to be flexible,” avers Sanjay.
What the company did
differently was to get itself
organized putting systems
in place like discussions
with all department heads
every morning where the
issues of concern were
discussed and brought into
notice before they took
the shape of bottleneck(s).
Sanjay also started giving lot
of freedom to his employees
and made deliberate efforts
to not interfere in their day-
to-day work.
Missing
Entrepreneurs…
“Squeezing margins, higher
wages, no support from
Government are some of the
reasons of grave concern
in running a successful
operation,” underlines Sanjay,
adding,“It’s the experience
and knowledge acquired
by education and working
with good companies that
will surely get him through.”
He also advised aspiring
entrepreneurs to gain
maximum knowledge and
experience of the apparel
industry on the shopfloor
for at least 4-5 years before
venturing into a business.
“My regular visits to Italy during my tenure with Benetton, to work with the automated screen printingunits actually inspired me to have a screen printing unit of my own and when I got the opportunityin 2003-04,I grabbed it.”– Sanjay Yadav, Chairman, Drips Apparels
Japanese flat knitting machine manufacturer Shima Seiki – leading the industry with its pioneering WHOLEGARMENT®
technology capable of producing an entire garment in one piece without the need for cutting or sewing – is raising the
benchmark with constant evolution for the customers with the vision to innovate, reach new heights in conventional flat
knitting with the help of its latest offering in shaped knitting technology. Proven technology, along with Made-in-Japan quality,
reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and increased patterning capability all combined make Shima Seiki a renowned name
in satisfying the high expectations of the world’s fashion industry. Team StitchWorld reviews Shima Seiki’s latest and most
popular computerized flat knitting machine model – SVR123SP.
SHIMA SEIKI SETTING INDUSTRY
BENCHMARK WITH SVR123SP
he flat knitting machineTmanufacturer is known for
regularly bringing out improved
and innovative version of
technology and SVR series is
one of its latest offerings with
innovative features. Themachine
comes with a single loop presser
bed placed above the rear
needle bed, a feature which
allows the machine to produce
unprecedented designs in knit
fabrics, especially inlay patterns,
which combine knit and weave
characteristics to produce hybrid
textiles.
Inlay fabric is produced by
inserting yarn into existing knit
fabric in a weave fashion, yielding
unique fabrics that are neither
typically knit nor woven. Inlay
also suppresses typical stretch
characteristics of knitwear, and
since new yarns and materials
can be used for inlay structures,
new applications in addition to
fashion apparel such as sports
and medical as well as other
industrial applications can
be anticipated. With fine 14
gauges, the machine canachieve
knitting width of 122 cm with a
knitting speed of 1.4 metres per
second. However, knitting speed
can vary according to yarn and
other knitting conditions.
Capable of a wide range
of knitting from fashion to
technical textiles, the machine
offers WideGauge capability
whereby a variety of gauges –
from finer-gauges using all-
needle knitting, to lower-gauges
using half-gauge knitting – can
be knit on a single machine. It
benefits the user in handling
changing seasons and shifting
trends without investing in
a machine for every gauge
or resorting to the complex,
time-consuming task of gauge
conversion.
Another feature which aims to
improve quality of the output
is spring-loaded movable full
sinker system. While in the
conventional forced-operation
type sinkers, fabric is subjected
to unnecessary stress and cause
compressed loops and even
yarn breakage. However, spring-
loaded movable full sinker
system in the machine provides
a gentle hold-down movement
and yields ideal loop formation
which in turn allows a significant
improvement in fabric quality
for complicated patterns.
The machine also features
a R2CARRIAGE (R2 = Rapid
Response) system that
features an advanced carriage
mechanism combined
with improved software
programming that achieves
quicker carriage returns after
each course. Field-tested and
market-proven in the industry
for 30 years, the company’s
patented Digital Stitch Control
System (DSCS) continuously
adjusts yarn feed and tension
to yield loop consistency with
tolerance to within a remarkable
Shima Seiki’s patented Digital Stitch Control System (DSCS) continuously adjusts yarn feed and tension to yield loop consistencywith tolerance to within a remarkable (±) 1 per cent.Apart from loop consistency,it also allows consistency among different batches and repeat orders. This results in quality control and thus, higher productivity.
(±) 1 per cent. Apart from
loop consistency, it also
allows consistency among
different batches and repeat
orders. This results in quality
control and thus, higher
productivity.
Furthermore, a network
connector is repositioned
on the side of the controller
for easier access when
performing production data
management with Shima
Network Solutions. The
USB interface is also placed
directly below the control
monitor for improved access
in data exchange.The control
display is available in various
languages such as English,
French, Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic,
Russian, Chinese, Korean,
Vietnamese and Japanese.
A backup power supply
for situations when power
abruptly fails, allows work
to resume, thusoffering
a confirmation that an
entire garment will not be
lost due to blackouts. In
addition, the stop motion
sensor incorporated in the
machine stops the running
of machine in situations
such as yarn break, large
knot, fabric pileup, shock
detection, piece count,
over-torque, program error,
etc.
This highly productive and
flexible machine when
used with SDS-ONE APEX3
– a special 3D design
solution for the Shima Seiki
machines is capable to turn
the SVR123SP into a power
house of a design solution.
Spring-loaded movable full sinker system in SVR123SP provides a gentle hold-down movement and yields ideal loop formation, thus improving fabric quality.
GREEN BUILDING TRAINING
COURSES – ‘LEED’ING THE WAY
Going green is the necessity of today, especially for the industries and the offices that grossly misuse natural resources. And
‘Green Building’is the new way to show your responsibility towards environment in all aspects, including planning, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction of the factory building or office building. The concept not only saves
money but is also a sure way to earn respect from your clients. Team StitchWorld explores various training courses available in
the market to make you more proficient and better employable in this field...
indoor environmental quality and
innovation, and design and regional
priority.
The participant, at the end of the
course gets exposed to green building
design strategies, and gains knowledge
on IGBC Green Building Rating
Systems.
BUILD IT GREEN
(https://builditgreen.org/index.php/event-det
ail/?eventId=a1J44000009luDSEAY)
Course Name: Certified Green Building Professional Certification Training
Fees: US $599
Duration: 2 days (13th-14th March) in
California, USA
Build It Green (BIG) is a non-profit
organization that offers training,
support, and programmes to help
professionals build and grow their
businesses in the process.
The two-day (9 hours a day) course
introduces the key principles of green
building and the systems approach to
the design, construction andoperation
of buildings under the sections –
energy, resource conservation,
IGBC (INDIAN GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL)
(http://www.greenbusinesscentre.
com/site/ciigbc/viewevent. jsp?eventid=515102&event=dd)
Course Name: IGBC’s Advanced Training
Programme on Green Buildings
Fees: Rs.8,000
Duration: Two days (everymonth)
9th-10th February, 2017 in
Visakhapatnam,India
IGBC, part of the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII), offers a wide
array of services which include
developing new green building
rating programmes, certification
services and green building training
programmes. The council also
organizes Green Building Congress,
its annual flagship event on green
buildings.
The training programme imparts
knowledge on green building
concepts and discusses the best
practices applied. Starting with
introduction to green buildings, the
course covers sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere,
building materials and resources,
indoor air quality, and developing
and marketing a green business.
The course covers essentials of
conservation, efficiency, and renewable
energy as well as design choices
that can improve indoor air quality
including low VOC (Volatile Organic
Compound) products, finish materials,
ventilation, filtration, mould prevention
and best construction practices.
The participant will explore best
practices in jobsite waste/recycling,
landscaping, water conservation,
efficient framing, durability, and
material choices. Additionally, it will
also enable the participant to learn
how consumer preferences, marketing
tools, and effective language can play
a role in developing and marketing a
green business.
KSGBT (KARISHMASMART GREEN BUILDINGS TECHNOLOGIESPVT. LTD.)
(http://www.ksgbc.com/leed-training)
Course Name: Advanced Green
Building Technology
Duration:3 days in Kolkata, India
KSGBT training programme provides
support training courses, training
packs and continued education
(CE) events covering wide range of
construction- and built environment-
related topics.
The above-mentioned course offers
essential knowledge of the LEED rating
systems and sustainable building
concepts. Although the course is
structured to be exam-focused,
more information, discussions and
interactions are delivered to help in
better understanding of the subject
matter.
Upon completion of this course,
the candidate enrolled will be able
to identify the key components
of the LEED rating system and the
overall LEED certification process,
identify and explain synergies
between LEED credit categories and
strategies, and recognize regulations,
referenced standards related to each
credit category.
B.F. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS INC.
(http://www.bfenvironmental.com/
GreenBuild.php)
Course Name: Green Building Commercial
Certification Programme
Fees: US $ 199.75 (Part-I)
US $ 159.80 (Part-II)
Duration: 5 hours (Part –I)
4 hours (Part – II)
B.F. Environmental Consultants has
collaborated with online training
centres to make available quality
distance learning courses in alternative
and renewable energy, alternative
energy training, energy efficiency,
green building design, LEED AP, green
associate, and sustainability analysis.
The programme is divided into
two parts. The first part offers
methodologies to plan, design,
and build high performance green
commercial buildings.The course
provides guidelines and processes to
apply specifically to commercial and
municipal construction. It covers the
basics of sustainability and progress
through designing new construction or
renovating existing structures.
The second part of the programme
provides instruction in the new
methodologies that form the
underpinnings of high performance
commercial buildings, the formulation
of responsible budgets at the planning
stage. Furthermore, the course helps in
identifying any high-performance cost
premiums (together with cost savings).
After completing this course, the
participant will be able to implement
practices that improve the capital
budgeting, design and construction
practices.They will also be able to save
money through reduced energy and
material expenditures, waste disposal
costs and utility bills in future.
GRIHA (GREEN RATING FOR INTEGRATED HABITAT ASSESSMENT)
(http://www.grihaindia.org/events/
grihav2015_agenda-new.pdf)
Course Name: GRIHA 3-DayTraining
Programme
Fees: Rs.9,000
Duration:8th-10th February, 2017(Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala,India)
6th-8th March,2017 (New Delhi, India)
GRIHA is a Sanskrit word meaning –
‘Abode’. The programme quantifies
aspects such as energy consumption,
waste generation, renewable energy
adoption, etc. so as to manage, control
and reduce the same to the best
possible extent. GRIHA is a rating tool
that evaluates the environmental
performance of a building, thereby
providing a definitive standard for what
constitutes a ‘green building’.
Three-day training workshops are
being organized by GRIHA Council in
association with TERI at New Delhi, India
and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.The workshops aim at enhancing
the knowledge on green buildings
and GRIHA rating parameters for
building professionals like architects,
engineers, developers, policy makers
and others. The workshopscovers
various sessions on site planning and
construction management, building
design optimization, optimizing
artificial lighting design, energy
efficiency, socio-economic strategies,
sustainable building materials, energy
management, performance metering
and monitoring and water and
waste management.
GREEN BUILDING TRAINING
(http://www.green-building-training.com/
education/online-training/)
Course Name: Green Advantage
Fees: US $179
Green Building educational offerings
focus on practical training and
theoretical knowledge that provide
ideas and strategies to improve the
business or advance personal career.
The institute offers both in-person
training and online training.
The online Green Advantage
Workshop comprise of the Green
Building Design and Construction
process and presents LEED specific
construction-related concepts.
It qualifies for 7.5 LEED specific
credentialing hours for both BD&C
and ID&C disciplines, 8 CES credits for
AIA, and 8 PDH units for registered
professional engineers.
The programme is divided intopre-recorded modules, each between
20 and 50 minutes long, that can be
selected and accessedindividually
in the order of presentation or as
needed for review purposes. Also,
review questions are included at
the end of each sectionto confirm
the participant’s understanding of
that module.
Italy: SLAM opts for Gerber’s YuniquePLM In The Cloud
vision systems for the apparel,
graphics, packaging and other
industrial markets.
Intuitive and easy to use, it
integrates seamlessly with
Gerber’s AccuMark® CAD
software and the Adobe
suite. YuniquePLM’s cloud-
based subscription is flexible,
scalable and eliminatescostly
autical fashionbrandNSLAM has opted for
Gerber’s YuniquePLM In The
Cloud in order to support
innovations and improvetheir
time to market, accuracy and
quality through their global
supply chain, announced
GerberTechnology,the
world leader in integrated
software,automation and
information technology
infrastructure with very
affordable subscription rate,
minimal implementation effort
and a wealth of self-learning
tools on GerberUniversity.
“After analyzing several PLM
vendors, we chose Gerber
Technology’s YuniquePLM
In The Cloud for its
comprehensive out-of-the-box
capabilities and the support
that the company provides
in terms of IT expertise,
performance,accessibility and
security,” said Michaela Lupi,
Style andProduction at SLAM.
Nowadays, companies are
under significant competitive
pressures to design, develop
and produce their products
faster and more efficiently
while ensuring they get the
right products to market
at the right time and at the
right price.
“YuniquePLM In The Cloud’s
easy configuration and rapid
deployment will allow SLAM to
achieve a faster return on their
investment. We are passionate
about making it easy for our
customers to design and
develop great products. The
configurability will allow
SLAM to easily configure
the application to match
their specific needs,”said
Bill Brewster,Vice President and
General Manager – Enterprise
Software Solutions, Gerber
Technology.
Italy-based SLAM is a privately-
ownedmanufacturer
of clothing, specializing
in advanced technology
sportswear,specifically in
sailing wear.
UK: Heriot Watt University installs latest Mimaki textile printer
able to more efficiently deliver
the long runs required by our
students for their final year
collections.”
The Mimaki Tx300P-1800is
a 1.8m wide textile printer
which can be used to
print cotton, silk, wool and
polyester fabrics through
using reactive, pigment,
acid or disperse inks. With
eriot Watt University hasHinvested in Mimaki’s latest
Tx300P-1800 direct-to-textile
wide format printer in order to
provide innovative education
for its Textile Design and
Fashion undergraduatecourses.
These courses offer a unique
and valuableopportunity
for fashion designers to
experience industrystandard
equipment and processes.
Theuniversity is already using
Mimaki’s technology and this
new printer is a vital addition
to its line-up of Mimaki textile
machines.
Dr. Roger Spark, Senior
Technician at Heriot Watt
University said,“Ourexisting
Mimaki printers have served
us well for over 10 years but
with the added capacity of
the new Tx300P-1800,we’re
production speed of up to 55
sq.m./hour, it is ideal for short-
to medium-run production
and its superior print quality
lends it perfectly to producing
high-end fashion, furnishings
and other textiles. It is an
eight-colour inkjet printer
which features a new print-
head that ejects ink droplets
at high speed toensure
accurate ink placement with
a high head gap. The printer
has a maximum resolution
of 1,080 dpi with drop sizes
ranging from 6pl to 24pl
and features stable textile
transport that maintains
optimum tension.
Mimaki’s National Sales
Manager of Textile & Apparel,
Stephen Woodall said,
“Tx300P-1800 is one of the
very first of the new printers
to be installed in a university
and it’s great to see students
benefiting from the absolute
latest textile printing
technology. Heriot Watt’s
undergraduate textile courses
offer a unique and valuable
opportunity for prospective
fashion designers to
experience industry standard
equipment and processes.”Mimaki Tx300P-1800 is a 1.8m wide textile printer used to print cotton, silk, wool and polyester fabrics
YuniquePLM’s cloud-based solution will enable SLAM to improve its time to market
TECH TRACK
France: Lectra’s latest Fashion PLM solution reaps highest score in WhichPLM evaluation
collaboration & integration;
mobile applications; anduser
interface and dashboards are
the key functional areas that
are ‘significantly improved’ in
the latest being Fashion PLM.
“With the creation of
tools that support the real
business of fashion, and the
extension of the solution’s
footprint, we are extending
our recommendation of
Lectra to be shortlisted
by any fashion and
apparel brand, retailer or
manufacturer – of any size
and geographical spread,”
underlined Mark Harrop, CEO
and Founder,WhichPLM.
The WhichPLM benchmark
evaluation measures the key
product lifecycle functions
that a prospective PLM
customer should seek
against the industry average.
It also probes the vendors’
capabilities, industry
knowledge, customer
insights, services and
support facilities.
ectra, theworldL leader in integrated
technology solutions, has
received highest score
in WhichPLM’s recent
benchmark evaluation for
the newest version of Lectra
Fashion PLM which extends
the scope from design and
product development to
production for retailers,
manufacturers, and brands.
The company’s PLM
platform scored at, or above,
the industry average in all
of the 43 functional areas
WhichPLM measured. Its
newest module – Material
Forecast Module provides
real visibility into accurate
material consumption at
the vital early stages of
product development.
Creative design (CAM),
colour integration; material
development; sample
management; supplier
management; auditing &
compliance; sustainability;
quality auditing;
Lectra’s latest Fashion PLM scored at, or above, the industry average in all 43 functional areas of WhichPLM
USA: Gerber announces availability of latest version of AccuMark family
erberTechnologyGhas announced
the availability of itslatest version of the
AccuMark® family for
purchase. Enhancements
in the latest release of
AccuMark include a
three of the products in
the family – AccuMark,
AccuMark 3D and
AccuPlan. The continued
developments within the
AccuMark family and the
integrated capabilities of
YuniquePLM In The Cloud
will minimize errors by
eliminating human error in
data re-entry.
“Our customers can
decrease samples by
utilizing AccuMark 3D to
visualize designs prior
to sample production
and before they hit the
store. The ability to see
how a garment will look
and perform earlier to
production could even
help the consumer see
their garment before
purchase,thereby
decreasing returns tokeep
maximum profit to the
bottom line,” said Mary
McFadden, Executive
Director, CAD Product
Management at Gerber
Technology.
Based in Connecticut,
USA, Gerber Technology
delivers industry-leading
software and automation
solutions that help apparel
and industrial customers
improve their
manufacturing and
design processes.
USA: Skinners Technologies develops breakthrough innovation in socks industry
USA: Fujitsu develops smallest washable UHF RFID tag
kinners Technologies, aSUS-based footwear brand,
has launched a new segment
of footwear named Skinners
that looks like socks but
claims to be worn as shoes.
Skinners is a barefoot-friendly
concept, which is designed to
offer a portable,comfortable,
ujitsu Frontech NorthFAmerica Inc., a leader
in innovative technology
and front-end solutions, has
developed their smallest UHF
RFID tag for high fashion
apparel, garments, and
accessories.
The WT-A433L washable
UHF RFID tag has improved
washing durability than
its predecessor. The new
Fujitsu Fashion tag mini
is made from transparent
materials and virtually
undetectable when installed
in the sheerest of garments
and provides positive
identification of an item even
if the sales tags have been
removed. Measuring only
natural and artificial fibres,
including yarns with silver to
stop bacteria, and rayon to
help keep feetcool.”
Heavy-duty Skinners is coated
in a dual polymer waterproof
plastic and featuresan
odour-resistant Lycra infused
upper that is designed to
make it both comfortable and
functional. Made with silver
yarn, Skinners are also said to
offer antibacterial properties.
The bottom material ishighly
abrasive resistant.Knitting
is seamless and there’s no
glue or any other adhesive
that could fall apart in time.
The company claims that
no harmful toxic plasticizer
is used in producing the
Skinners. The footwear has
undergone many testssuch
as broken glass test andlego
test before getting into the
global market.
Fujitsu Fashion tag mini in
high-value garments and
accessories can provide
positive confirmation of
an item’s authenticity and
also help reduce incidents
of fraud. Fashion garment
designers and manufacturers
will benefit from its small,
almost imperceptible
design,” said Randy Fox,
Vice President – Sales and
Marketing, Fujitsu Frontech
North America Inc.
The company showcased
the WT-A433L as well as its
entire family of washable
RFID tags at the National
Retail Federation Convention
and Expo, held recently in
New York City, USA.
protective solution for a
range of activities.
Petr Prochazka, Founder of
Skinners Technologies said,
“It’s not a shoe, it’s not asock.
We like to call it Skinners. The
product, which slips on and
looks like a chunky sock, is
constructed from a mixof
37 mm x 10 mm x 0.3 mm,
the tag can easily be sewn
into hems, seams, or under
manufacturers’ labels and is
home-wash, dry-clean, and
ironing safe.
“Fraud and counterfeiting
in high fashion apparel are
on the rise. Attachingthe
Skinners has been constructed from a mix of natural and artificial fibres
The tag can easily be sewninto hems, seams, or undermanufacturers’ labels
With Fast React’s Visionng e-PLM, Men’s Wearhouse seeks to improve the level of services offered to its wide customer base
USA: Clemson University to develop robots for advanced manufacturing
lemson University (CU) has collaboratedCwith Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
for a project worth US $ 253 million, to
develop next-generation robots for advanced
manufacturing across textile industries.
Funded by United States Department of
Defence (DOD) to develop, demonstrate
and facilitate early adoption of novel
robotic solutions, the Advanced Robotics
Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, affiliated
under CMU, has received US $ 80 million from
the DOD and the remaining US $ 173 million
from partner organizations.
“The institute will tap into CMU’s research
strengths in collaborative robotics, sensor
technologies, materials science and human-
computer interaction, areas that are rapidly
transforming many sectors of our economy.
With this unique partnership between
academia, Government and industry, CMU is
poised to bridge the gap between research,
innovation and practice in the emerging field
of advanced manufacturing,” said Farnam
Jahanian, Provost,CMU.
The main objective of the robotics institute
is to increase worker productivity by 30 per
cent and fill future manufacturing jobs. It
also aims to make robots more accessible
to small- to medium-sized business.
Furthermore, CU will also help train the
workers to operate the robots, as part of aUS
$ 253 million plan to fill roughly 510,000 jobs
in manufacturing by 2025. It will introduce
about 20 certification programmes for 10,000
operators over the next five years which
will involve virtual and augmented reality,
3D printing, artificial intelligence and other
emerging technologies.
“Contrary to a popular misperception, robotic
automation in manufacturing is creating
jobs rather than increasing unemployment.
Companies in South Carolina and nationwide
tell us the jobs are available but that we
need educational programs to prepare
operators with the critical STEM skills they
need to qualify,” said Rebecca Hartley,
Director of Operations – Center for Workforce
Development, CU.
UK: Men’s Wearhouse deploys Fast React’s Visionng e-PLM
en’s Wearhouse, adivisionMof Tailored Brands Inc.
and largest specialty retailer
of men’s apparel and rental
products in the US,has selected
Fast React’s browser-based
Visionng e-PLM, whichwill
be implemented in a phased
project to cover PLM, supply
chain and MRP.
The solution will provide the
company with fast, global
access to up to date, accurate
information, and early warning
of any potential issues
allowing proactive action
to drive improved business
performance. It will also
support more streamlined
processes, compress lead time
and improve efficiency, and
further improve the level of
service offered to our wide
customer base.
Gill Oliver, Sourcing Director,
Men’s Wearhouse said,“Having
worked successfully with Fast
React for a number of years,
we believe that they are the
right partner to take us through
this next development phase.
Their business consultants have
demonstrated an excellent
understanding of both their
software and how it relates to
our requirement.”
It may be noted that the
apparel retailer recognized
the need to update existing
systems with an integrated,
core system for managing
key processes from design
and product development to
sourcing in order to respond
competitively to market
demands for increased speed
to market and efficiency. It,
therefore, assessed a number
of software solutions and
providers, including FastReact.
Gary Thompson, Chief
Operating Officer,
Fast React said,“The
functional footprint of our
Visionng solution extends
beyond that of conventional
PLMs, drawing on our
unparalleled supply chain
reach, and placing extended
critical path management and
supplier collaboration at its
very core. We look forward to
the successful completion of
the project and to working
closely with Men’s Wearhouse
over the coming years.”
Bangladesh: Wintex Resources completes 100 installations of FK Group “Super Jeans” cutter
USA: Centric releases 6.0 version of its PLM software
intex ResourcesWhas uplifted the
installations of ‘Super Jeans’
cutter by FK Group from 30
last year to current of 100
installations. Out of these
100 installations, more than
50 are complete cutting
room solutions.The company
expects 20-30 installations
of the same in current year.
The “Super Jeans” cutter
entric Software, theC leading PLM solution for
fashion, retail, outdoor, and
consumer goods companies,
has released the 6.0
version of its market-driven
solution – Product Lifecycle
Management (PLM) software.
Centric PLM 6.0 provides
an enormous scaling with
performance incorporating
medically safe for operators,
due to its medicated health
care filter. The soleagent
for the Bangladesh market,
Wintex, has upgraded in the
heads of the machine, making
zero buffer cutting much
stronger. In the head, a special
structure has been added
with alloy aluminium to make
it lighter and stronger which
ensures that blade is running
consumes just 5.9 KW of
electricity using Eco-Power
technology, which is almost
five to eight times lesser than
what is consumed by other
cutters. With a cutting speed
of 110 metres per minute,
made possible through a
blade vibration of 6,000 RPM,
the cutter can be maintained
via remote assistance and has
been approved by WHO as
with perfect precision/
deflection.
It may be mentioned here
that the cutter has made
its existence in thecutting
rooms of almost 70 per cent
of top jean manufacturing
companies in Bangladesh
like Ha-meem Group,Ananta
Group, Tarasima Apparels,
Islam Group and so on.
departments. A massediting
feature will help users to
minimize clicks and improve
productivity.
Additionally, PLM 6.0
allows users to create own
customized apps with the
help of which they can
digitally transform processes
without any limitation.
radical innovations and is
capable of managing 10,000+
users and TBs of active data
across multiple areas with
no derogation in speed. A
‘slicer’ feature in the latest
version examines information
about how to answer
financial queries, supplier
performance and significant
questions like “Whatif”.
Centric’s merchandise
planning module has been
changed in PLM 6.0 to make
it a completely new interface
which would help users to
minimize their efforts to
ensure on-budget products,
sync their entire sourcing
team anywhere anytime
and track material usage
across product lines and
Thailand: Kornit Digital to exhibit at FESPA Asia 2017
ornit Digital, aKmanufacturer of high-
speed industrial inkjet
printers, pigmented inks,
and chemical products for
the garment and apparel
decorating industry, will
exhibit Kornit Allegro and
Kornit Storm Hexa at the
FESPA Asia 2017, slated tobe
held on 15th-17th February at
the BITEC exhibition Centre,
Bangkok,Thailand.
Kornit Allegro is single-
step solution to printing
on textiles with its
NeoPigment™ process that
eliminates the need for
one NeoPigment™ ink set.
The printer has 64 heads
with seven colors available
forprinting.
Also on display, Storm Hexa
is a 6-colour direct-to-
garment printing solution
with 16 height adjustable
industrial print heads. The
Ink recirculation mechanism
decreases nozzle clogging,
eliminates purging, reduces
direct/indirect costs and
ink waste. With a print area
of 50 x 70 cm, it is usedfor
printing over zippers, buttons
and raised objects.
external process steps such
as pretreatment, steaming
and washing. It candigitally
print on multiple fabric types
with max roll width 180 cm
with just one printer and
Storm Hexa is a 6-colour direct-to-garment printing solution with 16 height adjustable industrial print heads
The export value of China’s sewing machinery products recently touched the mark of US $ 2.25 billion. India topped the chart of being
the biggest importer of Chinese sewing machinery with US $ 260 million, which accounted for 11.60 per cent of the total exports value of
China. Clearly evident of India being the biggest importer of Chinese sewing machines, depicts the trust and services the Chinese brands
offer. Also in the run is Vietnam, with value worth US $ 203 million (9.07 per cent of total China’s exports value).Whereas, Bangladesh stood
much lower in this list with US $ 64 million i.e. 2.87 per cent of China’s total exports value. In this series, Team StitchWorld presents the
Top 10 Chinese sewing machine brands that have long been present in manufacturing hubs like Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and more.
TYPICAL
TYPICAL International Corporation
offers single-needle high-speed
lockstitch double-needle high-speed
lockstitch, flat-lock high-speed sewing
machines, and more. TYPICAL also has
four R&D centres in Germany and its
brand VETRON contains sewing and
fusing machines and is mainly used for
automobile seats, leather products and
thick materials.In India, it is distributed
by EH Turel & Company. Its machines
are marketed in Bangladesh by South
East Exim Ltd.
JACK
Established in 2003, Jack Sewing
Machine Co. Ltd. is leading in global
sales with the absolute advantage of
lockstitch,overlock and interlock sewing
machines. Jack also manufactures and
markets Topcut Bullmer, the leading
manufacturer of automatic cutters and
spreaders, which it took over in the year
2009.Its distributor in India is IIGM Pvt.
Ltd. and in Bangladesh, it is marketed
by Jack Bangladesh Ltd.and Smart Tech
Pvt.Ltd.
MAQI
MAQI’s main products are lockstitch,
overlock, interlock, chainstitch, etc. The
Indian agents of MAQI sewing machines
are Sunny Sales, Balaji Sewing Machine
Pvt. Ltd., Sleek Corporation, and Selvam
Engineering. The company has a liaison
office in Bangladesh and its products in
the country are marketed by R.K.Sewing
Machine & Servicing Centre.
TOP-LIST
HIKARI
Hikari (Shanghai) Precise Machinery
Science & Technology Co. Ltd. is one
of the world’s largest manufacturing
and researching centres of industrial
sewing machines. Nguyen Huy Hoang
Trading & Service Co. Ltd.; Viet Trung
Hieu Trade & Service Co. Ltd.; Cong Ty
Tnhh Dich Vu Vathuong Mai Viet Yen;
and Tan Hung Duc Sew Equipment
Company are their authorized
distributors in Vietnam. While in
Bangladesh their agents are Sewmak
and Orient International.
GEMSY
Zhejiang Gemsy Mechanical and
Electrical Co. Ltd. produces more
than 300 kinds of sewing machines
covering fields like knitting clothing,
suits, shirts, silk, home textiles,
shoes, bags, etc. SGSB Group Co. Ltd.
established a JV with Gemsy and is
now known as SG & Gemsy. Macro
International is India’s agent for the
company. It has a service centre in
Uttara,Bangladesh.
ZOJE
Zoje’s products are categorized
into 14 major series like lockstitch,
interlock, overlock, twin needle, bar-
tacking, zigzag, buttonhole, button
sewing, blind stitch, cylinder bed,
feed-off-the-arm and more. In India,
its agent is HCA Garment Machinery
Pvt. Ltd. while Bangladesh sales is
handled by Zoje Sewing Machine Co.
Bangladesh Ltd.
HIGHLEAD
Shanghai Biaozhun Hailing Sewing
Machinery Co. Ltd. is specialized in
producing and selling“HIGHLEAD”
brand’s sewing machines. With
ISO 9001:2000 certification, the brand’s
products are marketed in India By HCA
Garment Machinery Pvt.Ltd.
EUROMAC
Euromac offers automatic sewing
machines for various operations in
jeans and trousers, like jeans pocket
setter, bottom hemming, automatic
button punching, jeans side seamer,
automatic serging unit, classic trouser
side seamer, double needle lockstitch
machine, and more. Euromac Asia
Ltd. handles sales of machines
in Bangladesh.
RICHPEACE
Richpeace Group’s sewing equipment
include single head automatic sewing
machine-head lifting, non-stop
automatic sewing machine, large area
automatic sewing machine and more.
The company has its service offices in
Noida and Bangalore (India); Dhaka,
(Bangladesh); and Bing Duong and
Hanoi (Vietnam).
ZUSUN
Zhejiang Zusun Sewing Machine Co.
Ltd. specializes in feed-off-the-arm
machine series, blind stitch machine
series and various other kinds of special
sewing machines. The Max & Zusun
Corporation/Sony Corporation is the
company’s agent inBangladesh.
TOP 10 POPULAR CHINESE BRANDS
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