Picanol News October 2010

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Picanol NEWS OCTOBER 2010

High productivity weaving in the 21st century, p. 2

Airjet weaving without filling catch cord, p. 5

Terry weaving with the TERRYplus 800, p. 8

Melotte – Pioneering in production technology, p. 16

Customer focus: Berto Industria Tessile (Italy), p. 6,and Wagdy Moamen Weaving Mill (Egypt), p. 13

Weaving is still the most important technology in the textile chain. Although the use of knitting has expanded in recent years, weaving is still more important, accounting for just over 50% of textile production. This is due in part to the large efforts that the weaving industry has put into rationalization in the past 10 or 15 years, together with developments in weaving technology on the part of weaving machine constructors. In this article we consider which factors make an important contribution to the weaving process.

Manpower, materials and machinesFirst of all there is the manpower, the people. Their qualifications and skills are a big part of the result. Motivating the people is also very important for reaching the goal. Organization of the processes, correct machine settings and preventive maintenance are important items which are influenced by the people.

The second important factor is the material, namely the warp and weft yarns. And, last but not least, there is the equipment, namely the weaving machine. These three factors have the most influence on the productivity and quality of the weaving process.

Looking at the development of insertion speeds on weaving machines, we see that these have tripled over the last 20 years. This speed increase has not only placed heavy demands on the skills of personnel, but has also prompted the yarn providers and the constructors of weaving preparation machinery to react accordingly.

Spinning and weaving preparationThe well known Uster® Statistics show that the spinning industry has been successful in improving yarn quality. The irregularity of spun yarns, a very important criterion for the quality of spun yarns, has decreased by nearly 100% since the beginning of testing.Proceeding on the assumption that the suppliers of the material have done their homework well, let’s have a look at weaving preparation, in which the warp yarns are prepared for the weaving process. Here quality is an absolute must. All the subsequent production steps benefit from the quality of the preparation work.

Performance and automation are usually decisive for productivity and for the manpower needed. But the basic rule in weaving preparation is: warp quality comes before productivity. It is here that the basis is created for optimum running conditions on high speed looms. But external suppliers too have an influence on quality and productivity, in terms of:- Yarn make-up- Packaging- Kind of bobbin- Kind of winding- etc.

All these factors must be analyzed and adapted to the needs of the product. Today, where flexibility is key, these needs can only be satisfied through partnership and cooperation with suppliers and within the weaver’s own plant.

High productivity weaving in the 21st centuryConditions for a highly efficient weaving process and perfect fabric quality

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The weaving process requires parallel ends with the same length in the warp direction. Nowadays there are three possibilities for production of warp beams:- Direct warping- Sectional warping- Single end sample warpingIn most cases sizing is also required afterwards.

These processes are all inflexible, demand a lot of manpower, have low productivity and take up a lot of energy and space. But here too the machine builders have made significant advances.

The requirements for modern preparation equipment include:- High efficiency- Low consumption of chemicals- Reproducible quality- Low emissions of fluff

Most of the direct and sectional warpers meet the requirements for performance, precision and quality, with:- Perfect cylindrical build up- No lost ends- No crossed ends- Precise length- Automation- Precise tensioning

Modern electronics and user-friendliness help to assure safety and profitability. Newly developed dust cleaning units collect the dust and fluff and keep the production area clean. Bobbin creels with monitored tensioners keep the yarn tension stable at the correct level, and together with automation tools lead to high production efficiency.

The latest automation techniques, such as sample warpers for warp lengths up to more than 1000 meters, make it possible to weave fancy products with top level efficiency. This also permits yarn dyed stocks to be reduced, as such units require only a few bobbins per color.


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SizingSpun yarns do not have a smooth surface, as fibers tend to stick out here and there. These projecting fibers lead to warp stops during the weaving process, by catching in drop wires, heddles and the reed. To avoid this, spun yarns have to be protected by sizing.

This can be done with natural sizing products (starch), but nowadays synthetic products are mainly used. These guarantee good sticking down of single fibers (core sizing), and build a good film over the yarn (cover sizing). To reach the best weaving efficiency there are two main demands on the sizing process:- Best size add-on- Best residual elongation

The size add-on is the percentage of dry size material added to the warp yarn in terms of weight. Too little add-on increases the number of warp stops. Too much add-on leads to sticking ends, increases the sizing costs and creates a lot of dust.

For fine cotton yarns, starch products do not provide enough protection. Because of the low number of fibers in the yarn diameter, sufficient core sizing is impossible and higher surface protection is necessary. A satisfactory

solution can be provided only by a good mix of starch/synthetic products or 100% synthetic products. The higher sizing costs are offset by greater weaving efficiency: 1% higher efficiency represents a payback of around € 2,500 per loom per year!

During the sizing process the warp yarn is stressed by tension and elongation in wet conditions. The residual elongation after the sizing process is significant for optimum weaving conditions. It is therefore absolutely necessary for tension and elongation to be kept at a low level and monitored during the sizing process.

Modern sizing machines with multi-drive technology and microprocessor monitoring guarantee constant, reproducible sizing conditions. Recently developed sizing technologies such as pre-wetting and cold sizing offer new opportunities for quality and savings on sizing material.

Taking into account all the above factors concerning material and weaving preparation, high weaving efficiency with first class quality can be expected on Picanol weaving machines.

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At ITMA Asia held in Shanghai in June this year, Picanol revealed its latest development in airjet weaving: the unique “Cordless” feature which enables users to weave without the filling catch cord. But Cordless does much more than just “weaving with less.”

In a conventional set-up on an airjet machine, a catch cord is required except when working with tucking-in for selvedge formation. However, using a catch cord brings some disadvantages for the weaving department:- Some 10% of warp stops on average arise in the catch cord, which means extra work for the weavers.- The yarn for the catch cord means additional logistic efforts and costs, as well as storage space.- Time is needed to change flange bobbins or to change individual bobbins in case of a horizontal bobbin stand.- The weaver needs to spend more time and attention on evacuation of the waste lint.- Special provision for the waste selvedge formation is required.- The waste lint is generally a mix of different kinds of material, so the possibilities for recycling are limited. Given these difficulties, a cordless system has long been desired by weavers. In response Picanol set up a design project which after two years of extensive R&D work resulted in the Picanol Cordless system. Key in our design is that the filling yarn is caught by a mechanical clamp at the right-hand side of the fabric. As this clamping system is mounted on the reed holder, the Cordless system is compatible with all types of reed. The clamp itself is controlled pneumatically.

Extensive tests in our customers’ mills have taught us that mechanical clamping of the filling brings some other advantages as well, in addition to the main purpose of being able to weave without a catch cord.

On airjet machines, stretching the filling yarn and keeping it stretched at the end of the insertion is one of the biggest challenges from the machine setting point of view. Catching the yarn with a clamp at an early stage of insertion simplifies the situation significantly: - No longer necessary to blow on the yarn to keep it stretched, so less air consumption. - Shorter exposure of the filling yarn to the compressed air, so lower risk of color variation in the fabric after dyeing.- For delicate yarns, higher speeds can be achieved. - Reduced waste length in case of elastic yarns.- More uniform and stable selvedge quality.- Possibility to recycle waste, as there is only one type of yarn.

But the challenge was also to design a feature that does not require any setting! We succeeded thanks to Picanol’s integrated concept. On Picanol machines all data from sensors and detectors everywhere on the machine are processed by the central microprocessor. Real-time calculations and modifications to the valve timings of the Cordless system permit fully automatic operation! Given the advantages that the Cordless system offers and the attention that it attracted at the last ITMA exhibition, we are convinced that this unique solution will make life easier for a lot of Picanol customers.

Airjet weaving without filling catch cord


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In 1889 Berto Industria Tessile began producing sailcloth for vessels on the nearby Venice lagoon. It progressed through workwear, home textiles and shirting, ultimately finding its present vocation as a designer and producer of fashion denim fabrics in the early 1980s. Today Berto is vertically integrated from spinning to finishing and is one of the undisputed European leaders in the high-quality denim industry.

The Berto people like to think of themselves as “the fashion craftsmen of denim.” We’re not talking about millions of meters of standard, basic denim here: the young, skilled team headed by the dynamic Flavio Berto is constantly researching and designing new styles to please highly demanding fashion designers around the world. Attractive, innovative designs have to reach production quickly, and here the experienced production managers headed by Paolo Zatta are fully committed.

The Berto family also owns EOS in Bangladesh, specialized in dyed stretch fabrics. This company has around 100 weaving machines and also carries out dyeing and finishing. It is run by Giuseppe Berto, who moved to Bangladesh several years ago leaving his son Flavio in charge of the Italian plant. But in both cases the focus is on flexibility and innovation. In addition to its care for the environment the group is distinguished by its social commitment with its many projects aimed at improving the lives of children in Bangladesh and Africa.

Berto continually invests so as to remain at the forefront of technology. After several years of positive experience with two Picanol OptiMax 4 R 210 weaving machines running at high speed and efficiency it decided to buy another 26 Picanol free-flight rapier machines. Picanol is particularly proud to supply Berto with its machines: we feel we are going in the same direction, sharing the same views and dreams.

On the next page we feature an article by weaving manager Giovanni Fabris explaining why Berto decided to buy OptiMax. The article appeared in the last edition of the internal Berto News in July this year.

Customer focus

Berto Industria Tessile – Italy

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Replacing the old machines with the new Picanol OptiMax machines was achieved in record time. In 30 days we removed the old machines and installed the 26 new ones. There were several occasions when it looked as if the tight schedule might not be met, but we showed that targets can be achieved when everyone works hard.

The switch to Picanol meant changing to a new generation of much faster machines with higher performance and simplified set-up. The decision to abandon our old weaving machine supplier and go to a non-Italian company instead was very difficult for us, after the many years of good relationship with our previous supplier. We came to the decision after running two OptiMax machines for a couple of years, weaving many articles and comparing results among the different machines. This period was useful to us in becoming familiar with all the parameters, including the differences in efficiency, fabric quality, setting up, maintenance costs and energy consumption.

We also compared the Picanol OptiMax with other rapier machines. Before deciding we ran some weaving tests on other machines and got positive results, but the latter machines still performed less well in certain respects including speed, user-friendliness of settings, maintenance costs and energy consumption. The decision was influenced by our experience with the weaving machines used until now, as problems with mechanical and electronic parts on them led to poor quality and failure to meet performance targets.

When the moment came to decide which machines to buy, we had a complete set of data to help us select the best option for reaching all our present and future targets. The winning features of the Picanol weaving machine included the following:- Strong, robust structure, suitable for denim- Keeping settings (constant weaving)- Fewer moving parts, permitting higher speed (640 ppm guaranteed) while at the same time reducing the mechanical stress- Fewer bearings and no transmission belts, thus making filling transfer precise and efficient and requiring less maintenance - Water cooling helps to keep the air cooler and less dusty- Filling presentation needles driven by stepper motors to optimize the gripping angle- Elsy independent selvedge device for weaving leno and false selvedges with independent settings- Fast set-up, thanks to easy accessibility of the setting points and electronically-controlled shed crossing angle- Advanced electronics offering lots of adjustment possibilities - Lower spare parts consumption- Lower energy consumption, thanks to the well-proved Sumo motor

It is now up to us to get the most out of the Picanol machines. We still need to gain experience but I believe that we will increasingly enjoy working with these machines. After achieving the first goal of starting up in 30 days, we now need to meet the targets set when we bought the new machines:- Efficiency 85%- Seconds <1.5%- Maintenance costs <1500 euros/year/machine

The big switchBy Giovanni Fabris - Weaving manager Berto Industria Tessile


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TERRYplus 800 enables weavers to get the most out of their talent

With the TERRYplus 800, Picanol has created the space and the possibilities weavers need to deploy and realize their utmost creativity. Special attention has been paid to the cloth quality, by implementing a direct driven cloth movement, without mechanical settings.

Fabric designThe TERRYplus 800 offers full flexibility in design. The pre-beat-up is independently driven by the pile height motor and all settings can be electronically set on the microprocessor. With the pile height changing device, it is possible not only to change the group beat-up rate, but also to weave structured patterns such as waves, thus permitting options in designing the products without limitations. The pre-beat-up distance can be set pick by pick and up to 24 mm, so easily allowing pile heights of 12 mm. Fabrics with a weight of more than 1600 g/m² can be produced without any problem.

Fabric quality The fabric quality is guaranteed by the stability of the cloth movement, which is driven from both sides by a torsion-free shaft. The cloth

movement is directly driven – without mechanical settings – simultaneously with the backrest movement. The ultra-light compensation rollers in combination with the robust structure of the loom make sure the pile is formed smoothly, with a completely even pile height. The fabric quality is further ensured through the minimal distance between cloth formation and take-up and through the care for constant yarn tension, as the construction is designed to keep an equal yarn length during the whole pile formation process. The pile height measuring device gives continuous feedback on the woven pile height. The possibility to automatically release tension at stop, and automatically re-tension again to the required tension at start, ensures a correct pile height even after a stop.

Simply the best airjet terry weaving machine ever!

If terry weaving is your objective, you can be sure of real plus value with the unique, future oriented TERRYplus 800. Picanol has developed the TERRYplus 800-weaving machine for the production of high-quality terry in a wide range of applications and at very competitive prices. Based on the same high-performance weaving technology as the OMNIplus 800, the TERRYplus 800 offers all the possibilities for weaving yourself to the top in your market. Promising unprecedented market opportunities. Creating space to unleash your utmost creativity. Guaranteeing optimum fabric quality. Saving more energy costs than ever. And featuring options for reducing downtime to the very minimum. If you really want to get the most out of your talent, market, material, energy and time, the TERRYplus 800 provides the platform for you to stay ahead in your terrytory.

TERRYplus 800 enables weavers to get the most out of their market

Never before has any weaving machine been so modular in design. In the new TERRYplus 800 concept, each machine consists of an identical, standard platform designed to accommodate future extensions or conversions. This modularity safeguards your investment: no other weaving machine is so easy to adapt in order to take advantage of new market opportunities.

Insertion systemThe TERRYplus 800 can be equipped for up to eight different colors or filling yarns. The filling insertion system is modular, with two channels per module. This modular concept with its unique configuration for the air supply channels makes it possible for the machines to be converted to more colors in next to no time.

Exchangeable shed formationThe TERRYplus 800 can be fitted with an electronic positive dobby or electronically driven jacquard. The basic machine structure for the dobby and jacquard versions is identical, making it possible to change the shed formation system at any time in the future.

Style change with maximum control Special attention has been paid to fast width changes. All the components to be moved are mounted on a single support whose position can be easily varied.

Mechanical settings have, wherever possible, been replaced with electronic ones. These have several advantages: they are very accurate, can be checked immediately and are easily repeatable and transferable from one machine to another. The ability to set the crossing time of the harnesses fully digitally is unique.

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TERRYplus 800 enables weavers to get the most out of their material

The material waste has been reduced to the minimum by inventing, developing and providing the necessary technology to achieve this. The mechanical components and advanced electronics of the TERRYplus 800 are designed for optimum fabric quality and minimum waste.

Optimizing quality made simpleThanks to the electronic controls, the machine settings for improving the fabric quality are easy to adjust, even while the machine is running. In addition to the many diagnostics screens, the terminal screen gives the weaver access to a whole series of pre-programmed values for shed formation, insertion, pick density and warp tension.

The very solid structure of the TERRYplus 800 ensures vibration-free operation. Starting marks are a thing of the past, thanks to the stiffness of the machine, the direct drive with the Sumo motor, the full pneumatic pickfinder and the microprocessor-controlled start and stop algorithms, pre-programmed procedures and independent let-off and take-up.

Weaving a wide range of filling yarnsThe CANplus prewinders – exclusive to Picanol – have a sensor for the reserve windings and may also carry a built-in optical yarn break detector. Thanks to the adjustable motion and force of the magnet pin, the TERRYplus 800 is able to weave yarns ranging from extremely light to coarse.

The Programmable Filling Tensioner (PFT) reduces the peak tension in the yarn at the end of insertion when the magnet pin on the prewinder closes. This makes it possible to weave weaker or more delicate yarns at higher speeds.

At the entrance to the main nozzle a pneumatically controlled mechanical clamp (patented) holds the yarn during the non-insertion period, enabling the continuous airflow to be kept at a very low level. This improves the fabric quality and reduces the number of stops with weaker yarns.

The unique design of the Argus filling detector (patented) ensures perfectly reliable detection of the yarn. This high reliability is achieved thanks to the detector having a full view of the entire cross-section of the insertion channel, so that detection is independent of the position of the yarn in the channel.

ELSY electronic selvedge system (patented)The unique ELSY selvedge systems are driven by separate stepper motors that are controlled electronically. The selvedge patterns and crossing times can be programmed on the microprocessor independently of the shed crossing. This can be done even while the machine is running, so the weaver immediately sees the result of the new settings.

Electronic let-off and take-up The electronically controlled let-off (ELO) and take-up (ETU) are fitted as standard on the TERRYplus 800 machine. The ETU also makes it possible to weave fabrics with variable pick densities, with highly accurate settings.

TERRYplus 800 enables weavers to get the most out of their energy

Energy saving technologies have been developed and implemented, taking into account the rules and regulations concerning the environment. The TERRYplus 800 loom is equipped as standard with the energy efficient Sumo motor and with highly effective main nozzles, relay nozzle and valves.

Consuming less energy The combination of the highly energy efficient Sumo motor with the direct drive (patented) of the main shaft and shedding motion results in power savings of more than 10% in comparison with conventional clutch and brake configurations. Moreover, the energy cost for air conditioning is also reduced as the Sumo motor dissipates less heat in the weaving mill.

Fixed and movable main nozzles The air supply system and highly efficient main nozzles permit higher performance. The air pressure and timing can be adjusted separately for fixed and movable main nozzles, giving reduced air consumption.

The Electronically-controlled Low Continuous Airflow (ELCA) system holds the filling yarn at a lower pressure in the ideal position during the non-insertion period and prevents the yarn from unraveling.

Relay nozzles and valves The TERRYplus 800 relay nozzles are optimized for more efficient use of air.

The electro-magnetic valves on the relay nozzles have been redesigned. The air tubes between valve and relay nozzle have been made as short as possible, thus further reducing air consumption.

The unique Adaptive Relay Valve Drive (ARVD) system is a further development that automatically adapts the relay nozzle settings to the behavior of the filling yarn throughout the insertion, making use of the advanced integrated electronic controls. This results in an absolute minimization of the air consumption.

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TERRYplus 800 enables weavers to get the most out of their time

The TERRYplus 800 weaving machine is based on the OMNIplus 800 – a future-oriented platform whose components are designed for high operating speeds and top productivity. The frame of the TERRYplus 800 and all the moving parts are perfectly balanced and robustly built to permit the very highest machine speeds. The TERRYplus 800 weaving machine has many unique features that reduce downtime to the absolute minimum.

Unique Sumo main motor fitted as standardThe oil-cooled Sumo main motor drives the weaving machine directly, without belt or clutch and brake. The very short drive train is simple and compact, and the machine is up to full speed right from the very first pick.

The speed of the motor is controlled electronically, without a frequency converter, thus reducing power consumption and permitting greater flexibility. The shed crossing time is set entirely from the display. This combination of the Sumo motor with electronic settings makes it easy to obtain the highest possible industrial speeds, taking into account the yarn quality, number of harnesses and weaving pattern, and considerably reduces the set-up times.

The machine has a fully automatic pickfinder (patented) driven by the Sumo main motor. Pickfinding is done using a sliding gear on the Sumo motor, so that no slow motion motor and clutch are required. In case of a broken pick the machine stops and only the harness frames are brought in motion – automatically – so as to free the broken pick, without the reed touching the beat-up line. This reduces the stop time in case of filling break and avoids starting marks.

Prewinder Switch-OffWith the Prewinder Switch-Off (PSO) system the machine carries on weaving even if a filling break occurs on the bobbin creel or one of the prewinders; the prewinder signals the break and the system switches to one of the remaining channels.

Optimized harness frames and connectionsThe harness frames, connections and guides (DRC-30) are designed for weaving at high speeds.

With the unique DRC-30 harness connection (patented) no manipulations have to be carried out under the fabric line when connecting the frames to the drive system in a single movement, and height adjustment is done entirely at the top of the frames.

Easy fitting and removal of warp beams and cloth rollThe warp beams are driven by an electronically controlled let-off system via a separate gear wheel that remains on the machine. Fitting the warp beam and changing the cloth roll are done by means of quick connections. No specific tools are required.

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Customer focus

Wagdy Moamen Weaving Mill – EgyptShirting at its best!

Eng. Moustafa Abo El Yosr, Weaving General Manager of Wagdy Moamen (left) and Adel Helmy, Picanol representative for Egypt

Wagdy Moamen is one of the best companies in Egypt to export shirting fabrics made from the finest Egyptian cotton. This private company was founded by the Moamen family in 1981. In the Shoubra Elkhema area near Cairo they built two weaving mills, one of them equipped with Picanol machines. Over the years Wagdy Moamen has steadily increased its production capacity to nearly 2,000,000 meters per year. With high fashion brands in Europe as its main customers, Wagdy Moamen proved to be very successful and expanded year after year.

To cope with this growing demand the company started a greenfield project in 2008, also in the vicinity of Cairo, in Elobor Industrial City. This project is due for completion in 2011, increasing the weaving capacity to 6,000,000 meters of shirting fabric per year. Based on earlier experience and evaluation of the state-of-the-art weaving technology, Wagdy Moamen Weaving Mill has chosen Picanol rapier technology to achieve this.

The company currently has 18 GamMax and 24 OptiMax weaving machines with 190 cm reedwidth in operation. As it aims for very short delivery times, Wagdy Moamen has successfully implemented Picanol’s Quick Style Change system, enabling it to achieve a complete style change in less than 35 minutes.

The variety of shirting fabrics woven at Wagdy Moamen is impressive. From Ne 40/1 to Ne 60/1, from Ne 100/2 to Ne 140/2, and from poplin to seersucker. In fact it produces over 120 six-color designs per year. 75% of the collection is exported, mainly to Europe and the US. Famous brands such as Van Laack, Canali, Inditex, Seidensticker, Westwood and Jack Pritt use Wagdy Moamen fabrics in their collections.

To meet with the growing demand from American and European markets for ready-made shirts instead of the fabrics to make them, Wagdy Moamen has recently started up a pilot plant to produce completely finished shirts. The plant produces 5,000 shirts every day and the demand is expected to grow. Obviously this new plant will give Wagdy Moamen a great competitive advantage. Picanol is proud to be part of this success story.


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ITMA-CITME Shanghai

The textile industry met from 22 to 26 June for the second-largest textile machine fair in the world, the ITMA-CITME exhibition in Shanghai. The event, being held for the second time, emerged from the collaboration between ITMA Far East and CITME China. At the exhibition Picanol had four machines on its own stand and another two on the stands of jacquard builders Bonas and Stäubli. What made the event very special was that our latest airjet weaving machine, the OMNIplus-X, was presented for the first time.

The revival in the worldwide economy was very perceptible at the exhibition: after two years of stagnation the textile world seems ready for investment once more. Our salespeople were certainly able to return home with well-filled order books!

Picanol expands its weaving systems for technical fabrics to the Asian market

Picanol’s range of dedicated weaving machines for technical fabrics is also expanding in Asian markets, as was clearly shown at the ITMA-ASIA 2010 and CINTE 2010 fairs.

Although Picanol enjoys good business for technical fabrics in the European and American market, Asian weavers of technical fabrics also showed a lot interest in the Picanol solutions presented at the recent ITMA-Asia held in Shanghai.

On the Picanol stand, an OptiMax rapier machine weaving PVC-coated polyester yarns drew a lot of attention. It clearly showed the progress Picanol has made in this field.

Apart from the technical capabilities of the products, customers attach great importance to the manufacturer's company, its products and services. Their key criterion is “stable”, which can be translated into “robust” or “few problems.” This is where Picanol stands out from its competitors. The recent economic downturn did disrupt Picanol’s business to a certain extent, but now the company is back up to speed in its plant in Ieper, Belgium, as well as in its plant in Suzhou, China.

The upturn in orders and deliveries for machines for apparel and household fabrics was also noticeable in the field of technical fabrics, for a variety of segments. The automotive industry has clearly recovered in a big way, with orders for tirecord and upholstery machines. Coating fabrics and conveyor belts are doing well, especially with glass-fiber and PVC-coated PES yarns. Medical fabrics (wound dressing material) and sporting fabrics (parachute material) also showed a high level of activity.

Picanol’s main products for technical fabrics are the OptiMax free flight rapier machine and the OMNIplus 800 airjet, with the OMNIplus 800-TC for tirecord being a special version of the latter.

All these products have been launched in the last five years and are all equipped with the Sumo direct drive, adding a lot of robustness and making the machines more “stable.”

More information on Picanol products for technical fabrics can be found at www.picanol.be.

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Picanol Group subsidiary Melotte has been in the news a lot recently with the development and introduction of various revolutionary production technologies. Its Direct Digital Manufacturing and Near-to-Net-Shape Manufacturing technologies are in fact so innovative that they may well pose a radical challenge to industrial traditions in the coming years.

How it worksGetting slightly ahead of the story, we can say that Near-to-Net-Shape Manufacturing (NNSM) is a technique that uses metal powders and laser beams to make parts. These may be precision-engineered machine components, or they may just as well be heart valves or other medical implants. The parts are built up layer upon layer by a robot laser that fuses the metal powders together. The process is fully digitally controlled. Apart from the great precision with which the parts are made, this technology offers numerous other advantages.

Material, Market, Energy, Time and TalentJust as with the Picanol weaving machines, the same slogan applies: “Get the most out of your … Material, Market, Energy, Time and Talent.”

MaterialTo start with, NNSM requires far less raw material. With conventional technology 4 kg of titanium is needed to produce a finished part weighing just 1 kg, while 330 grams of titanium powder are sufficient to produce a similar part weighing 300 grams using NNSM. Moreover, this can be done to a tolerance of three microns, i.e. three thousandths of a millimeter.

MarketAs a “digital production plant” Melotte can be reached at any time from anywhere. Customers in Texas, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and even China send their digital files to Melotte in Belgium. A 3D scanner translates the electrical data into a computer model that is used to control the laser machine. A component ordered yesterday is produced and delivered tomorrow by courier to the customer. In the future Melotte will get even closer to its customers by setting up a network of digital manufacturing centers in various countries.

EnergyThe laser technology used by NNSM considerably reduces the ecological footprint of producing precision parts. Compared with conventional milling methods, the process uses much less energy to achieve the same result. There is no over-production and no production waste.

TimeThanks to digitization the lead time for the process is reduced enormously. In conventional processes, hours of programming are required before the milling work even begins. Now it only takes a few minutes. To give another example, making a heart valve by the conventional method takes anything from 9 to 16 weeks, compared with just one day for NNSM.

TalentMelotte’s digital plant offers huge flexibility for its employees. They can see at home on their BlackBerry whether they need to come to the plant to clear a fault on a laser or assembly robot, or whether they can reset the machine remotely on their laptop. It is no exaggeration to say that Melotte is already using the technology that will be commonplace in 15 or 20 years.

Pioneering in production technology

elotteDirect Digital Manufacturing

The end of May saw the 300,000th weaving machine emerge from the Picanol production line in Ieper, Belgium. This represents yet another milestone in the long history of Picanol, founded on 22 September 1936. The 300,000th weaving machine, an OMNIplus 800 airjet, was shipped to a customer in China.

The very first Picanol weaving machine – the Omnium – was produced in 1936 in the Polenlaan plant in Ieper. It was based on a design by the Spanish engineer Jaimé Picañol. In the early years the company achieved an annual production of 120 machines. However, by the outbreak of World War II output had risen to one machine per day. In the 1950s Picanol laid the foundation for future international expansion with the President weaving machine (which was also exhibited at Expo ’58). In the early 1960s, Picanol moved to a new industrial area on the outskirts of Ieper as a result of increasing demand for weaving machines. It continues to assemble its high-tech weaving machines in the K. Steverlyncklaan plant to this very day.

Staying ahead with innovative technologyThrough its policy of innovation and its constant focus on product quality, processes and people, Picanol has managed to surprise the market time and again with new, high-tech weaving machines. Since the first Omnium weaving machine in 1936, more than 15 new models have been launched on the market. In June 2010 Picanol introduced its latest airjet model, the OMNIplus-X at the ITMA-Asia + CITME fair in Shanghai.

Picanol is currently the technological market leader in both airjet and rapier weaving machines. The machines are made in Belgium, and since 1995 also in China. Driven by the continuous efforts of the Picanol engineers, the speed of weaving machines has evolved phenomenally: the first (shuttle) weaving machine was able to achieve a speed of about

140 picks per minute. Today, the OptiMax rapier weaving machines are able to reach industrial speeds of more than 700 ppm (the fastest rapier machine in the world), while the OMNIplus 800 airjet machines achieve more than 1250 ppm. Today, an estimated one out of three pairs of denim jeans worldwide is made on Picanol weaving machines.

“In the past decades we have always pushed the limits of weaving machines, both for and with our customers. As a result, we are one of the world’s top weaving machine producers. We have always stuck to our core mission: developing, assembling and servicing innovative and reliable high-tech weaving machines. The accumulated experience we have gained from production of these 300,000 machines is the best guarantee for our customers all over the world that they get the best weaving machine when choosing Picanol,” states Geert Ostyn, Vice-President Weaving Machines.

Picanol reaches milestone with production of 300,000th weaving machine in Ieper

Picanol Managing Director Luc Tack with the 300,000th Picanol weaving machine

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In its nearly 75 years of existence Picanol has occupied various sites in the Ieper area. It all began in the Polenlaan, almost in the centre of the city, where the first weaving machines were built in the Vansteenkiste workshops. But the initial premises were soon bursting at their seams and a new location had to be found for production. A new site to the South of Ieper was chosen, and the first buildings of what is still known today as the “New Plant” were erected in 1961. The road leading to it was appropriately named after the founder of the company, Karel Steverlynck.

However, the administrative departments remained behind in the Polenlaan. The R&D department was on the Zandberg road, and later the Zonnebeke road, so for a long time Picanol was spread over three locations in Ieper. A first consolidation came in 2002 when the administration and R&D were combined in a single location: the imposing premises of the former Lernout & Hauspie company in the Ter Waarde industrial estate. With Luc Tack at the helm it was decided to bring all the activities of the Picanol Group in Ieper together at one single location. The obvious choice was the production site, and at the end of August the company headquarters officially moved to its present address: Karel Steverlyncklaan 15, 8900 Ieper.

All Picanol activities brought together in one place

A view of the new open-plan Weaving Machine Sales offices

During the first half of 2010, the turnover of the Picanol Group increased by 65% compared with the weak first half of 2009. The increase in turnover was achieved both in the Weaving Machines division and in the Industries division. In line with expectations, demand for Picanol weaving machines remained at a high level in first half of 2010, mainly driven by strong demand from Asia. In other regions the demand for Picanol weaving machines also recovered. In addition, the Industries division saw an increase in the level of activity across various industries. Thanks to the savings made and the increased turnover, the Picanol Group was able to get back into profit. Following the improved market outlook, the Picanol Group launched a recruitment campaign in July to hire an additional 150 workers for its production plant in Ieper.

Strong turnover growth gets Picanol Group back into profit

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Picanol News is the newsletter

of

Picanol nvKarel Steverlyncklaan 15

BE-8900 Ieper

Belgium

Tel. + 32 57 222 111

Fax + 32 57 222 001

www.picanol.be

www.picanolgroup.com

[email protected]

Chief editor: Erwin Devloo

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Education

Picanol News October 2010