[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator
[TC]² – Worldwide Leaders in 3D Body Scanning Technology
By David Bruner, [TC]²
With the March 2007 release of the [TC]² NX-16 3D body scanner, [TC]² is on track to deliver more than 50 systems this year to a wide range of customers worldwide. The NX-16 is market-leading from size, cost, and functionality perspectives and is being adopted not only for apparel applications but also for health, fitness, anthropometric surveys, and a variety of educational applications.
Using safe white light technology, the NX-16 occupies only twenty square feet (4X5) and is small enough to fit inside many existing changing rooms. Users enjoy a completely private scan that is self-actuated, standing at floor level, and in a comfortable and well-lit environment. The NX-16 now includes an attached changing room curtain which requires
no additional permanent square footage allocation. The NX-16 scanner can automatically extract hundreds of measurements and shape parameters including surface areas and volumes. Additionally, measurement based formulas for other higher order information components such as body fat composition, size prediction of garments, and made-to-measure specification of custom garments are widely used and available.
New software features recently released for the NX-16 system include the ability to manually move the locations of automatically extracted measurements, and viewing the positions of manually placed anthropometric markers (used in some survey applications) on the scan data.
To address the increasing international demand for [TC]² 3D body scanning systems, new distributor relationships have been established to provide local sales and support in eastern Europe and the Middle East and Asia along with existing local support for the EU countries. New locations internationally for [TC] ² NX-16 scanners include South Korea , Hong Kong, Australia, Turkey, and Scotland, among others. The greatest number of scanners outside the U.S. are located across the United Kingdom and are supported by our distribution partner, ShapeAnalysis LLC.
[TC]² body scanning clients include Benchmark Clothiers, Lori Coulter, Brooks Brothers, US Coast Guard, US Navy, and over 15 universities. Some of the recent adopters of the NX-16 in the academic world include North Carolina State, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Cal Poly Pomona in the U.S.; and Hong Kong Polytechnic; the University of Manchester, UK; and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.
For more information, use our contact form.
Reducing the Negative Environmental Impact in the Textile and Clothing Industries
By Kim Anderson, [TC]²
James L. Sweeney is a professor at Stanford University, a Senior Fellow of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a well respected authority on sustainable business practices. His professional activities focus on economic policy and analysis, particularly in energy, natural resources, and the environment. In Sweeney's view, “sustainability” embodies two fundamental concepts—“we borrow the Earth from our descendants” and “natural resources are vital to economic activity, personal satisfaction and health and need to be preserved for use by future generations.” His underlying theme is—there is a business case for sustainability. With today’s consumers buying over one trillion dollars in clothing, the textile and apparel industries have an opportunity to positively impact the environment by implementing sustainable business practices. But as Sweeney also points out—balancing environmental and business concerns is a complex and dynamic challenge.
A comprehensive report titled Well Dressed? details some of the major environmental issues impacting the textile and apparel industries. According to the report the main environmental issues are:
Energy use in the manufacturing of yarn made from natural materials, the production of primary materials for synthetic fibers and the laundering process.
Use of toxic chemicals, in particular in conventional cotton production.
Release of chemicals in waste water, especially in wet pre-treatment, dyeing and finishing.
Solid waste generated in yarn manufacturing of natural fibers.
It is apparent that the environmental impact of a product depends to a large extent on the material from which it is constructed. For example, water consumption and toxic chemicals are widely used in cotton agriculture. In contrast, in the production of viscose, energy use is a dominant factor in the manufacture of the fiber. Improvement in the apparel industry is material specific and depends on the energy and toxicity of the entire life-cycle of the material.
There are a number of strategies suggested in Well Dressed? that could be utilized by both manufacturers and consumers to ensure a more sustainable future. The report takes an interesting approach to reducing environmental impact. Many of the strategies focus on reducing energy and material waste and the re-use and recycling of clothing as opposed to the more traditional strategies such as implementation of more eco-friendly manufacturing processes and chemicals.
Energy Reduction
Most of the energy requirements of a garment made from cotton are expended during the garment’s care such as home laundering, drying and ironing. One way to reduce the frequency of laundering would be to use recent technologies such as finishes that can be applied to fabric to minimize or eliminate odor. Applying finishes that improve wrinkle resistance would also reduce energy usage by reducing the need for ironing. The report also suggests that consumers should consider washing their clothes less often and using lower temperatures during the washing cycle. Other suggestions include line-drying clothes as opposed to using a dryer and using eco-friendly detergents.
Buy More Durable Clothing
Today, many consumers are demanding a continual supply of new fashionable garments at low prices. Many fashion garments are constructed to have a relatively short life. An increased emphasis on durability as a fashion component might off-set the current fast fashion disposable trend as well as support a move towards reduced material flow. Buying fewer more durable garments and textile products has the potential to reduce environmental impact by reducing solid waste generation. If consumers were willing to pay a higher price for a product that lasted longer, reduced material flow would not necessarily result in an economic loss.
Re-usable Clothing
Second-hand clothing is worth one billion dollars per year. There is a growing demand for second-hand clothing. Today it is an important source for low cost clothing in developing countries. Improved collection and sorting procedures would help to reduce waste and provide useable clothes to people. Consumers could also extend the life of clothing and textile products through repair.
Recycling Clothing
If returning the garment for second-hand sale is not possible, another alternative is to shred the garment and make it into yarn. Technological innovations have made it possible to recycle useable fibers from fabric. However, more research is needed in this area in order to obtain profitably. A recent innovative business for carpet recycling failed to achieve profitability.
Disposal of Clothing and Textile Products
Disposal of used clothing and textile products is not a sustainable practice. Incineration is preferable to discarding apparel in landfills as it allows energy recovery and reduction of final waste.
Waste volumes from the textile and apparel industries are high and growing. There are a number of strategies that could be pursued to reduce the environmental impact of apparel and textile products. There are also some barriers that need to be addressed before the strategies will be successful.
Consumer education is vital. Consumers’ attitudes toward apparel need to be changed to promote many of the strategies. The reduction of washing, drying and ironing of garments would reduce energy consumption. An increased emphasis on durability as a component of fashion would support a move toward sustainability. Re-use and recycling of clothing would also reduce waste.
References
1. Well Dressed? The present and future of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sustainability/projects/mass/UK_textiles.pdf
2. CSIRO http://www.csiro.au/science/SustainableManufacturingOverview.html
[TC]² Activity
SGIA Expo 2007 - October 24-27, 2007
By Genevieve Garland, [TC]²
The SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association) Expo 2007 was held at the Orange Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The organization supports users and developers of digital and screen printing technology. The Expo showcased a wide variety of printing technologies and inks including solvent, sublimation, direct UV curable, direct disperse, digital textile printing, garment printing, and digital presses. Attendees were also exposed to a plethora of print media ranging from paper, vinyl, rigid, and textiles to laminates and films used to wrap doors, cars, and virtually any hard surface.
[TC]² provided support to member company Yuhan-Kimberly by serving as a resource for those interested in learning more about digital textile printing. Yuhan-Kimberly showcased its nanocolorant inks and printer solution specifically designed for direct digital textile printing. The SGIA Expo was the first time Yuhan-Kimberly offered this printing solution through Expand Systems, who will serve as the U.S. distributor.
[TC]² Activity
AAFA Supply Chain Leadership Committee
By Jim Lovejoy, [TC]²
The AAFA Supply Chain Leadership Committee held their fall meeting in Ft. Worth, Texas last week with an interesting agenda. Rafael Hernandez, VP of Supply Chain Logistics for Haggar, presented how Haggar made the transition from domestic and Mexican production to a global supply chain with production in 15 countries. Paula Rosenblum, VP of Research from Retail Research Group, showed survey results that the retailers and brands that have a higher percentage of private label and proprietary labels are more profitable as companies overall.
The SCLC group toured the Justin Brands’ automated distribution center and viewed a video of the manufacturing steps in producing leather boots. Justin Brands recently celebrated their 125th year anniversary. It is the oldest U.S. manufacturer of western boots, which is a growing market.
Another highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Carlos Arias, President of Koramsa in Guatemala. He described how Koramsa made the transition from being a denim supplier to being a valued partner in product development to its retail customers. The company was reorganized to produce new styles in only a few weeks in order to respond to the latest fad or fashion which may have been seen on a television show. Koramsa is leaving the commodity large volume denim production to others.
The meeting was wrapped up with several short subjects presented by committee members on Ecometrics, What is Organic, Update on Global Logistics and Vertical Retailing.
The theme of the SCLC Spring meeting in Lake Tahoe will be “Green” with several success stories from leading brands and retailers. For more information go to www.apparelandfootwear.org.
[TC]² Student Intern Sponsor Profile
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
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[TC]² is pleased to recognize Gütermann as a Sponsor of the 2007 Student Internship Program.
Located in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest, Gütermann has been producing a quality sewing thread for over 140 years. The company has acquired a unique wealth of experience surrounding thread and its production. This expertise takes shape in numerous technical innovations and an impressive range of products.
A technique which has long since been state-of-the-art in the electronics industry for cables, tapes and circuits represents something of a special breakthrough in the field of sewing threads: Sheathing in fluorocarbon. At Gütermann, the threads are saturated in fluorocarbon and then “baked” for a precisely defined period. The result is an amazingly inseparable bond between thread and sheathing. Normal threads absorb moisture like a wick, making them pervious, while special WA threads from Gütermann with their fluorocarbon dressing suppress this capillary action and act to repel both water and dirt by affording particles and moisture only very minimal adhesion.
The process technology used by Gütermann results in perfect conditions for wide-ranging applications in outdoor clothing and shoes, and can be applied to almost any type of its sewing thread from polyester through polyamide to aramid qualities.
Reaching consumers in over 80 countries, Gütermann manufactures a diverse product range that offers everything required by a modern, creative retail business:
-haberdashery: sewing thread, machine embroidery thread and ribbons
-jewelry making: beads, sequins and accessories
-paint: textile, acrylic and window colors plus a range of accessories
Satisfied customers and partners give Gütermann the strength for continued growth and success. Kathy Kierce, National Sales Manager, Gütermann, United States remarks, “membership in [TC]² promotes our philosophy of not only current quality matters but innovation in the future needs of the industry.” Innovation in new and unique products and services geared to market needs is what Gütermann has responded with in changing times: “A recipe for success.”
[TC]² and the interns gratefully acknowledge Gütermann’s contribution and thank the company for its support of the 2007 intern program.
Dr. Doris Kincade is Named Professor at Virginia Tech
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
Dr. Kincade has developed merchandising strategies for supply chain management in partnerships between retailer and manufacturer, implementation of Quick Response, and advanced manufacturing techniques. Her product development research includes use of mass customization to reduce product development time and to respond more accurately to consumer demand and use of technologies to improve product development efficiency. In the area of sewn product quality, her research focus is on development of management techniques to improve response to consumers’ expectations and understanding and interpreting consumer expectations.
Her new textbook, Sewn Product Quality, has recently been published by Prentice Hall.
Dr. Kincade is a former [TC]² Faculty Fellow, having participated in the educator program in 1990.
[TC]² Publishes 2008 Seminar Schedule
[TC]² has prepared a comprehensive listing of its most popular seminars and offers some new programs for 2008. The programs listed will be presented at [TC]²’s Cary, NC facility. These seminars and other customized programs can also be delivered on-site.
For a review of next year’s educational programs calendar, click here. (PDF)
Important Dates
November
14-16 |
Grading for Fit. Seminar at [TC]². For information or to register, click here. |
December
3-5 |
31st Miami Conference on the Caribbean Basin. Go to www.c-caa.org for details. |
4 |
Ensuring Quality Products Seminar at [TC]². For information or to register, click here. |
For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com
Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.
A Look Ahead in the Newsletter
IAF 2007 Review
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
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