[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator

AAFA’s 9th Annual Human Resource Leadership Summit to discuss “Leadership in Crisis”
FIT, New York
October 15, 2008

The keynote speaker for the 9th Annual AAFA Human Resource Leadership Summit will be Mr. Richard Sheirer, Vice President, Giuliani Partners LLC. Mr. Sheirer served 28 years with the New York City Fire Department and almost 4 years with the New York City Police Department before being appointed Director of Emergency Management by former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Some of his greatest achievements include The FIRECAP program, The FIREWORKS Kill project and, most significantly, the coordination of the largest response, recovery and cleanup effort in American history at the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attack. His keynote topic is Leadership in Crisis.

Other featured topics include: Ten Challenges that Should Keep HR and Diversity Professionals Up at Night; Strategic Human Resource Initiatives: Hiring and Retention; Corporate Security and the Law; and Global Security and Intelligence.

Click here to review the agenda. To register, go to https://www.apparelandfootwear.org/events/register.asp?EVENT_ID=207

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[TC]²’s Upcoming Seminar Offerings

Technical Design Aids – Seams, Stitches, Needle, and Thread Criteria –– October 29

Are you able to effectively communicate to your suppliers the seam construction details for your products?  There is a standard language to ensure that your sewn products maintain the consistency and quality demanded by your customers. Attend this one day ‘Seams and Stitches’ program to learn the nomenclature and how to identify the basic stitch formation and seam constructions. Hands-on exercises will help you discover what makes the stitches and seam types different and how to apply the right stitches and seams to specific products. Differences in needles and threads will be discussed.

November Programs

Ensuring Quality Products by Integrating Sewability Factors and Quality Analysis – November 5-6

Accurate Costing to Build a Profitable Supply Chain – November 12

Rescheduled - Pattern Development – November 18-20

Seminars will be held at [TC]²’s facility at 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.

A complete description of these programs and others can be viewed at http://www.tc2.com/what/seminars.html

For additional information or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or via our contact form.

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Implementing a Sustainable Supply Chain

By Kim Anderson, [TC]²

Implementing sustainable strategies into a supply chain can be a daunting task. The ease with which strategies are implemented depends on the complexity of the supply chain. Some supply chains are fairly easy to examine while others are quite complex. Once strategies have been implemented, their continued success is highly dependent on the strong committed support of senior management. Strong leadership will serve to empower management and encourage them to include social and environmental considerations along with economic aspects. Few organizations will make significant progress in sustainable development without strong leadership and support from the top.

The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, (NZBCSD), has identified 5 steps for companies to utilize that will help expedite sustainable strategies into their supply chain.

Step 1: Review Internal Processes
Companies must identify, understand and manage the internal sustainable issues before they can begin to work with other organizations within their supply chain.

Step 2: Identify the Supply Chain
A company must identify where it fits into the supply chain. Suppliers of fibers all the way through to the finished product should be identified.

Step 3: Incorporate Sustainable Development into the Internal Business Strategy
Companies should make sustainable development a key performance indicator at all levels of the organization, from the board to junior management. Key performance indicators can be used to measure and monitor both quantitative and qualitative performance. Examples include cost reduction resulting from improved waste management, complete and on-time deliveries, staff satisfaction and energy savings.

Step 4: Adopt Company-Specific Measurement Tools
The NZBCSD believes that in many instances managers lack appropriate decision-making tools to help them assess the risks and benefits associated with managing suppliers. To successfully implement a sustainable supply chain, company-specific policies and communication materials should be developed and written concerning pre-qualification of suppliers, purchasing guidelines and supplier partnerships.

Step 5: Get All Stakeholders Involved
In order for sustainable development to succeed, companies must develop initiatives that will include everyone—both internal and external individuals. Although implementation and success is driven from the top, everyone must be involved.

The NZBCSD has also devised some solid criteria to help companies get started. Some of the tips outlined by the NZBCSD are:

1. Decide what the supply chain means to the organization

2. Select a pilot project that will provide early success and win the “hearts and minds” of employees.

3. Identify available resources both internal and external.

4. Establish a time frame for the initial project.

A successful sustainable supply chain requires getting three things right—the business process, the human system and integrating the two with the right technology. Although implementing a sustainable supply chain can be overwhelming, it can have tremendous quantitative and qualitative rewards. The NZBCSD has developed solid criteria to help companies get started and remain successful.

References
Implementing a Sustainable Supply Chain. “Business and the Environment.” Aspen Publishers.

To read more articles related to Sustainability and the Environment, visit our newsletter archive.

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[TC]² Activity - Textile Printing Symposium

By Kerry Maguire King, [TC]²

[TC]² and AATCC recently joined forces to host ‘Innovative Textile Printing: Green & Global’. This event took place at the Sheraton hotel in the Research Triangle Park region of the Raleigh/Durham area on September 17th and 18th. The program brought together a diverse group of attendees and speakers from the technology, chemistry, service, and product development areas to discuss advancements in textile printing systems and their application within a more sustainable and global supply chain.

The first day of the program provided a focus on innovation, examining technology, applications, design and product development.

Technology Highlights
Richard Malachowski from Cranston Print Works launched the event with an illustrated overview of conventional printing methods that highlighted the transition from engraved roller technology to rotary and flat bed screen printing methods. Kerry King from [TC]² added to the technology overview with a description of emerging systems for digital printing, focusing on advancements that are paving the way for the adoption of the digital method as a production solution. The possibility of digital printing as a production option was further emphasized by Rob Morskate of Osiris Digital Prints who provided a technical description of their Isis machine, a high speed digital technology capable of production print speeds of up to 30 linear meters per minute. Morskate noted that Osiris is anticipating the installation of their first machine at a European fashion printer during October of this year. A later presentation by Frank Berninger (Dystar) complimented this material by providing insight into the development of inkjet colorants for textiles and supporting hardware and ink delivery mechanisms.  Barry Silevitch from Brother International took the technical discussion in a slightly different direction with a description of digital garment printing technology, a growing opportunity for the garment decoration market that is being used to fill small quantity print orders.

Applications, Design and Product Development
The first part of the program provided attendees with a considerable amount of technical information. As the program transitioned to examine innovation from a technology applications standpoint, the audience heard from David Clark of Huntsmen Textile Effects, and Patti Williams of IT Strategies. Both presenters highlighted examples of how digital printing is being utilized by companies today to enhance their production capabilities, offer innovative products, and serve customers via business channels that were not supported by conventional print methods. Mitch Cole from Pantone also assisted with this change of pace by providing the audience with a narrated, visual presentation of color trends for upcoming seasons.  

The theme of ‘innovation in application’ was echoed by speakers including Mary Miller (Mary Miller Designs), Steven Fraser (Spoonflower), and Danielle Locastro (First2Print) who described how their respective organizations are harnessing digital printing to create products and/or provide services that exploit the imaging capabilities and flexibility that digital provides. Miller spoke about how her company is using digital printing as a tool that enables the development and production of a customized interpretation of the toile print style. In contrast, Fraser provided the audience with an entirely different perspective through his description of Spoonflower’s web-based business strategy for providing crafters with an opportunity to upload and print their own fabric designs.

Locastro was paired with Steve Smith from DPInnovations to lead a discussion of product development and sampling and she spoke about print projects for fashion runway, swim, soft goods, interiors, apparel, and costuming emphasizing the development process. One of the highlights was an illustration of the development strategy for the engineered printing of fabric for the construction of costumes worn during the filming of the major motion picture, Spiderman.  As part of this focus on development, Smith also addressed digital technologies and emphasized the growing need for lower cost, plug and play software tools to support the design and sampling process for printed textiles among independent designers and design studios.

Focus on Sustainability
Mike Fralix from [TC]² kicked off the second day of the symposium with a keynote presentation of a vision for a more sustainable supply chain.  This presentation helped attendees think outside the box or the ‘triangle’ (in Mike’s words) as the program shifted focus for a discussion of ‘Green’. During the Green session, attendees also heard from Mary Ankeny (Cotton Incorporated), JeongGook Cho (Yuhan-Kimberly), Tom McCall (Clovertex), and Marci Kinter (SGIA). Ankeny provided an eye-opening look at resource use during the wet processing stage of textile production and also provided insights into the use of chemistry and processing methods that relate specifically to printed textile production.  Cho highlighted the development of Yuhan-Kimberly’s nano colorant pigment chemistry for digital printing and McCall provided an overview of the potential for using ProTura Cotton to minimize processing requirements of cotton during coloration and printing.  Kinter provided the audience with an overview of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (www.SGP), the printing industry’s effort to provide guidance and verification for companies wishing to employ sustainable printing practices.

The ‘Green’ session wrapped up with a round table discussion focusing on fibers, fabrics and colorants. Within this segment the audience heard from Dr. Henry Boyter (Institute of Textile Technology) who asked the question, what does ‘sustainability’ and ‘green’ mean and how can designers, product sourcers, and managers make a difference. The audience also heard from Art Allen (Sensient Imaging Technologies) who provided insight into colorants for sublimation printing and the reduced ecological impact that is a result from using the digital application method. Also speaking within this segment, Fernando Vazquez from Dow Corning described the introduction of silicone as a more sustainable chemistry option newly introduced for screen printing. He emphasized that Dow Corning’s silicone ink base contains no PVC, phalates, formaldehydes, or solvents which are some of the key components that have been identified as toxic contributors within the screen printing environment for garments.

A Global Perspective
The final session of the program shifted focus once again to examine textile printing from a more international perspective. Hitoshi Ujiie presented a visual diary of digital printing ‘Beyond our Borders’ and emphasized the ability to use digital printing to support almost limitless design possibilities and high definition imaging on fabrics. Mike Lazzara from DuPont built on this information by providing a glimpse at how DuPont customers around the world are using digital technology to produce printed textile products.

Sangeeta Sachdev (SGP Prints, formerly Stork Digital) addressed the global theme from a different perspective. She provided a breakdown of textile printing trends worldwide and went on to highlight SGP’s strategy for providing color accurate output that links digital sampling to digital production within SGP’s certified network of print centers. Jesse Leskanic (Cheran Digital) also emphasized the concept of linking design to production with color accuracy as he described Cheran’s solution for offering custom printed fabrics to the interiors and decorator market.

For the closing segment of the program, attendees were able to participate in a discussion of color lead by Ann Laidlaw from X-Rite and Dan Randall from Datacolor. Laidlaw and Randall shed light on the challenging effort to specify and communicate color within the supply chain and spoke about the specific challenges, strategies, and technologies that can be used by developers of printed textile products.  

Tours                                                                                             
Following the formal part of the symposium sessions, attendees had the opportunity to stay on for an additional morning to participate in tours of Cotton Incorporated and [TC]²’s technology demonstration areas. The visit to Cotton Incorporated highlighted the textile design process as well as textile processing methods including digital textile printing. At [TC]² visitors were exposed to a selection of technologies and systems that link digital textile printing with other points in the sewn products supply chain. 3D body scanning and product development, avatar creation, digital nano colorant printing, and mechanical cutting of engineered designs were featured as emerging technology solutions.

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Member Profile - AATCC

By Karen Davis, [TC]²

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) was founded in 1921. Located in Research Triangle Park, NC, the AATCC Technical Center houses laboratories for test method development and demonstration. AATCC is the world's leading not-for-profit professional association for the textile design, materials, processing, and testing industries. AATCC has individual and corporate members representing textile, apparel, and home goods manufacturers; dye and chemical manufacturers; testing laboratories; consumer and retail organizations; state and federal government agencies; and colleges and universities from more than 60 countries worldwide.

The Association is internationally recognized for its standard methods of testing dyed and chemically treated fibers and fabrics to measure and evaluate such performance characteristics as colorfastness to light and washing, smoothness appearance, soil release, shrinkage, water resistance, and the many other conditions to which textiles may be subjected.

The association’s stated objectives are:

• Education: To promote increased knowledge in the application of colorants, chemicals, and polymers for textiles.

• Research: To encourage research on textile design, coloration, chemical processes, and materials of importance to the textile industry.

• Communication: To establish the interchange of professional knowledge among its membership.

AATCC accomplishes these objectives through a variety of activities: AATCC Review, its monthly magazine; AATCC News, a monthly electronic newsletter; AATCC Technical Manual, an annual publication of new and updated test methods utilized worldwide; workshops and symposia; its International Conference (IC); its website www.aatcc.org ; and member participation in research and technology committees.

AATCC launched its Concept 2 Consumer® (C2C) interest group to provide a forum for textile, apparel, and home fashions manufacturers to discuss issues surrounding the creation of product, from initial concept to final consumption. C2C comprises designers, merchandisers, color managers, mill specialists, dyers, and quality assurance managers from leading manufacturers and retailers. The interest group explores new ways to improve communication, shorten lead times, increase efficiencies, and deliver higher quality goods to the consumer.
The association's C2C/CITDA Student Design Competition grows in popularity every year. In addition to the prizes awarded by AATCC, one of the finalists in the apparel design sub-categories will receive an invitation to Goa, India, for the Society of Dyers and Colourists’ (SDC) Colour Design Award competition in June 2009. Design competition entrants from Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States will compete for this award.

AATCC continues to expand its certification programs in the global community. It now has 20 trainers to provide AATCC test method training in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Macau, and Pakistan, as well as trainers in Hong Kong and China.

AATCC hosts a number of other activities including meritorious and service awards, student chapters and activities, local sections with their own technical and social meetings, and AATCC Foundation, a charitable institution for scholarships and student research. It partners with organizations, including [TC]², to provide education programs such as the recently-held Innovative Textile Printing Symposium.

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Important Dates

October

November

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.

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A Look Ahead in the Newsletter



SEAMS Fall Meeting
Expotextil Peru

View previous editions of this newsletter

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[TC]²
5651 Dillard Drive
Cary , NC 27518
www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181

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