ITMA this year really caught my attention… The biggest textile show in the world,
the17th edition had 1,691 exhibitors from 46 countries, showcasing spinning, weaving,
knitting, dyeing, finishing and value add machines, spread out in over 11 halls for 8 long
days. However, I chose to visit only 4 halls in my four days’ visit and it turned out to be the
right decision because trying to see more than that would have made me lose out on
companies which opened up to me to showcase their innovations… The technologies
that I identified to explore for my readers were knitting, digital printing and finishing
machines and I was happy that I got plenty of innovations to see.
The knitting segment presented a true innovation, touching different dimensions and I do not still understand why this simple an idea was not thought of earlier… One company directly used sliver for knitting fabric while another used fibre roving to knit fabric…, eliminating the need of spun yarn… Just visualize how much it will impact the output price of the knitted product as one machine does multiple operations, saving time and money. The impact will further increase business opportunities of the knitted segment which today already comprises 55 per cent of the export basket. Of course, how it could impact the spinning industry is another discussion point all together…
Warp knitting is another area that is developing fast and one will not have to wait for too long to see it replacing weaving in manmade fabrics… Much faster, sturdier and endowed with stretch, one can see the results in the woven fabric produced and used now in the sports industry… In flat knitting, players outplayed each other with improved technologies that are capable of coarse knitting in multiple gauges and producing better and more complicated designs… I can see flat knitting going a notch higher on
the fashion quotient.
Digital printing was another area where I found major disruptive changes… Single pass machines, where the speed equals the analogue printing, pigment dyes against expensive reactive dyes, analogue and digital together in one machine is another area… Steadier movement of fabric, shorter drying run for better print registration and colour quality are some of the directions that came out strongly. I won’t say that the problems are all solved, digital print still has to go a long way to be at par with analogue printing, but all indications confirms its growth… This year it occupied one complete hall, but by next ITMA I am sure it will have at least three halls…
You can read the technology details in our forthcoming issues of StitchWorld magazine… What I really missed was the 3-D printing. I really wanted to see at least few companies attempting to produce machine spares or the entire garment itself… However expensive the technology or the output is, it could have been a new beginning… Maybe next issue of ITMA in 2019 will have something to offer in these lines… However, the issue that bothered me a lot was that there were not many young people selling conventional technology and the older generation, although more experienced generally have no idea on M2M platforms or IOT integration in the machines… Some even got annoyed on being asked the reason for not moving in that direction… I think it is important for the wise and upfront players to give opportunity to enthusiasm and knowledgeable GenY technologists to present technology for tomorrow!
The knitting segment presented a true innovation, touching different dimensions and I do not still understand why this simple an idea was not thought of earlier… One company directly used sliver for knitting fabric while another used fibre roving to knit fabric…, eliminating the need of spun yarn… Just visualize how much it will impact the output price of the knitted product as one machine does multiple operations, saving time and money. The impact will further increase business opportunities of the knitted segment which today already comprises 55 per cent of the export basket. Of course, how it could impact the spinning industry is another discussion point all together…
Warp knitting is another area that is developing fast and one will not have to wait for too long to see it replacing weaving in manmade fabrics… Much faster, sturdier and endowed with stretch, one can see the results in the woven fabric produced and used now in the sports industry… In flat knitting, players outplayed each other with improved technologies that are capable of coarse knitting in multiple gauges and producing better and more complicated designs… I can see flat knitting going a notch higher on
the fashion quotient.
Digital printing was another area where I found major disruptive changes… Single pass machines, where the speed equals the analogue printing, pigment dyes against expensive reactive dyes, analogue and digital together in one machine is another area… Steadier movement of fabric, shorter drying run for better print registration and colour quality are some of the directions that came out strongly. I won’t say that the problems are all solved, digital print still has to go a long way to be at par with analogue printing, but all indications confirms its growth… This year it occupied one complete hall, but by next ITMA I am sure it will have at least three halls…
You can read the technology details in our forthcoming issues of StitchWorld magazine… What I really missed was the 3-D printing. I really wanted to see at least few companies attempting to produce machine spares or the entire garment itself… However expensive the technology or the output is, it could have been a new beginning… Maybe next issue of ITMA in 2019 will have something to offer in these lines… However, the issue that bothered me a lot was that there were not many young people selling conventional technology and the older generation, although more experienced generally have no idea on M2M platforms or IOT integration in the machines… Some even got annoyed on being asked the reason for not moving in that direction… I think it is important for the wise and upfront players to give opportunity to enthusiasm and knowledgeable GenY technologists to present technology for tomorrow!
