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The Textile Magazine
JUly 2012
ITMA Asia + CITME 2012
tion of CLASSIMAT to the textile
industry. It brings quality assur-
ance to a new level, introducing
an unrivaled range of new features
and capabilities. It is not only an in-
dispensable precision tool for both
producers and users of yarns, it is
also transforming the industry.”
The unique Total Testing
approach
Total Testing is a novel approach
to help mills manage uncertain-
ties and achieve predictable profits
through cost and quality control.
Total Testing is a unique combina-
tion of laboratory testing, process
monitoring and know-how from
Uster Technologies.
It has four elements:
l
From fiber to fabric, incorporat-
ing quality management along the
entire textile value chain.
l
From sampling to continuous
testing, comparing laboratory
testing and in-process monitor-
ing results to identify symptoms
and causes, and develop process
improvements.
l
From varying to consistent qual-
ity, optimizing processes to produce
yarn of consistent quality at the
lowest possible cost.
l
From subjective to objective
quality, using USTER STATIS-
TICS for objective and transparent
product certification.
Implications for
Chinese market
Chinese mills are currently facing
many challenges, most of which
they can control in only a limited
way. To start with, cotton prices
have been very volatile and re-
main at historically high levels. In
addition, levels of contamination,
stickiness and seed-coat fragments
in raw cotton increased in 2011,
with China among the countries
with the highest level of contamina-
tion (ITMF Cotton Contamination
Report).
At the same time, the cost and
availability of energy continues to
be an issue. On top of this, labor
costs are increasing, and it is more
difficult than ever to find educated
staff for the textile sector, against
competition from other sectors
and other countries. Rising labor
costs are regarded as a significant
concern by 63 per cent of 557
respondents in the annual business
confidence survey by the European
Chamber of Commerce in China.
What is more, demand is soften-
ing, and there are some clouds on
the horizon. Yarn prices in China
have also slowly adjusted down-
wards after strong increases in
the first half of 2011, and are now
stabilized at a level of CNY about
2600 / kg ($1.87 / lb). These are
all factors which Chinese spinning
mills can influence to only a very
limited extent. They are therefore
forced to put the emphasis on
maximizing operations within the
mill, managing cost and controlling
quality, and this is the starting point
for Total Testing.
Taking control from
the start
Cotton is the single largest cost
element in yarn production. As a
rule of thumb, the cost of cotton
represents 50-70 per cent of the
total cost of yarn. Yet influencing
the price of cotton is almost impos-
sible for the spinner. The challenge
is therefore to maximize the output
of every pound of cotton.
One of the most important and
widely-used quality indicators for
cotton is micronaire (‘fineness’ in
laymen’s terms). Linked to this, one
of the most feared quality prob-
lems associated with cotton fiber is
Mr. Sivakumar Narayanan, Product Manager - Yarn Clearing & Expert
Systems, Uster Technologies