StitchWord Editorial Issue March 2014

Has the time come for bonded garments? There is a lot of talk from many companies, who would like to add bonded shirts to their portfolios in addition to bonded innerwear which is already quite popular.

The technology of bonding has graduated from tape sealing of seams to multi-stage adhesive tape bonding to the recent single stage bonding with liquid glue dispenser. The popularity of multi-stage adhesive tape bonding is undoubtedly higher due to maturity of the technology, and the last I counted, there are around 12 European companies which are producing machines for bonding and I am sure there must be equal number of Chinese machine manufacturers if not more. Among the quite popular ones are from Macpi, PFAFF, Schips, Nucleus, while the Asian companies are Brother, H&H and Typical.

Except ‘Arrow’ stitchless shirts, there aren’t many in retail to offer stitchless garments to consumers. Will the stitchless garment story be a rare example of technology driving the fashion retail trend?
 Interestingly, the needle manufacturer Groz-Beckert also discusses the nuances of bonded garments in its training academy in Germany, which certainly says something about the acceptability of the technology.

Today, it may be quite expensive to produce the bonded shirt due to the slow speed of the technology available, which is around 2 shirts on a machine per day, but I am sure in times to come the speed will go up... and also the quality of the garment.

The very existence of bonded shirt still remains inexplicable; may be a rarity value or can it score high on luxury quotient? While the quality, wearability and lifecycle are yet to establish their superiority, there is already discussion regarding which one is more sustainable, sewn or bonded?

 Whatever may be the developments in technology, the age-old system of ‘Jugad’ will always find place in Indian factories to tide over the problems that sometimes even the best of technologies are not able to do. In this issue of StitchWorld a few companies in the Delhi-NCR share their tips on working with fine fabrics when manufacturing highfashion. With a unique blend of technology and ‘Jugad’, these companies are servicing some of the most fashion-driven brands of the world.

 From this issue onwards, we are initiating a new series on training programs that can be undertaken by students or professionals looking at long-term growth in the apparel & textile industry. The first article in the series discusses the pedagogy of various institutes which are imparting training on Six Sigma.

Also in review is technology for knitting and allied operations available with leading players. With back-to-back fairs over the last one month..., this issue reviews the recently concluded KnitWorld, Ludhiana in detail, while the technology seen at GTE, New Delhi will be reviewed in the next issue.