News for August and September 2005

DigiFab Previews Exclusive Pre-treatment for Nylon at Material World
New York — DigiFab Systems, a manufacturer of pre- and post-press digital-printing equipment, CAD-RIP software, and pre-treated textiles, previewed an exclusive pre-treatment for nylon this week at Material World. This dry-process nylon eliminates the steps of washing and steaming in order to achieve post-printed color fastness for a true commercial product. The pre-treatment works with dispersed inks to allow the nylon to go straight from being printed and heat-treated to being a commercial-grade fabric—no more washing, steaming, framing or ironing. The nylon is ideal for those designing swimwear, flags, banners, and athletic apparel.
9/30/05

Upgraded SDL Atlas Flammability Testing Units Meet Flame Spread Standard
London , U.K. -- SDL Atlas has released a new version of its M233B automatic flammability tester featuring an optional radiator assembly that allows for testing to the most recent BS EN 13772: 2003 Standard. Fitted with the new radiator option, the upgraded flammability test unit can be used to assess flame spread on fabric samples and simulate the effects of burning caused by a large flaming source such as a burning waste paper basket.
The upgraded tabletop tester provides critical test parameters for flame resistance in vertically oriented fabrics such as curtains and drapes. “In addition to the recent BS EN 13772: 2003 Standard, we have enhanced the M233B flammability tester with new technology that encompasses a number of performance and operator-friendly features,” said Steve Combes, SDL Atlas Managing Director, U.K.
SDL Atlas designed the M2233B upgrade with interchangeable test frames and burners, automatic flame ignition and flame application timer and new windows-based software. Standard configuration for the tester includes a processor, software and an ink jet printer.
9/30/05

OptiTex Completes Advanced Interface Testing with [TC]² Body Scanners
New York and North Carolina - OptiTex USA, Inc . and [TC]² today announced the successful completion of data output and integration between the [TC]² NX-12 3D body scanning system and OptiTex Runway 3D.
OptiTex has been a long time industry partner and supporter of [TC]², recognizing this organization's contribution to the industry in both CAD explorations, fitting and body scanning. In recent months OptiTex and [TC]² have been extensively engaged in product testing and development with the clear goal of perfecting the quality and accuracy of data cloud output from [TC]²'s NX-12 3D body scanning system and into the OptiTex Runway environment.
Information obtained from [TC]²'s NX-12 can now be directly imported into the OptiTex system through VRML (WRL) files allowing OptiTex Runway users to drape garments that were stitched in OptiTex's pattern design system (PDS) or Modulate (MTM) in the most accurate way using OptiTex Runway 3D.
This new add-on further enhances OptiTex 3-D Runway technology, already allowing its users to incorporate complex processes such as Fabric collision, intersections and motion capabilities into one file that can later on be displayed, e-mailed and viewed by non OptiTex users. Real life representations are no longer computer static images and objects but real life simulations that dramatically speed up time to market.
“Users who are taking advantage of these true to life body representations can benefit in many ways; improved collaboration across the design-manufacturing-merchandizing departments, noticeable reduction in fit sessions and related costs, drastic increase in accuracy and reduction in costs associated with these processes are to name a few,” says Yoram Burg, President of OptiTex USA.
[TC]² also recently announced the availability of sets of 3D virtual models based on body scans. One set of models correspond to size ranges specified by ASTM standard measurements and another set correspond to size range data extracted from the 2003 SizeUSA national body scan survey of over 10,000 people across the U.S.  "The data used for integration testing with OptiTex's 3D Runway application were in fact some of the same 3D scan-based models that are available in [TC]² 's virtual model sets created from SizeUSA data," comments David Bruner , [TC]²'s Vice President of Technology Development.
9/28/05

Lectra Presents its Innovative Lingerie and Swimwear Pffering at Lyon Mode City/Interfilière
Paris - Taking part for the first time at Lyon Mode City/Interfilière, held September 3-5 in Lyon, France, Lectra presented its entire line of design and development solutions dedicated to the lingerie and swimwear sector.
Solutions for collection design, with Kaledo Style, pattern-design and pattern-making, with Modaris and Diamino, and product life cycle management, with GalleryWeb, are backed by a digital printing solution that allows the optimization of processes of prototyping and production of small runs. Lectra's latest innovations for the lingerie sector were also presented at the conference.
For Jean-Louis Heyd, Lectra's 3D specialist, "3D design and prototyping will make it easier to manage volume complexity, the assembly of different materials and the potential for predicting the interaction of the garment with the body."
9/28/05

Stork Introduces IPS alpha E Dispensing System
The Netherlands - At ITMA ASIA, Stork will officially introduce its new dispensing system, the IPS alpha E. “The solution for textile printers who wish or have to improve colour quality and reproducibility, but for whom a fully automatic dispensing system is not an option,”says product manager dispensing systems Mr. Frank Timmen.
The IPS alpha E, being part of Stork's well-known new IPS range, is based on a proven dispensing concept. Up to now, however, IPS systems have only been available either as a system which only dispenses automatically, or as a fully automatic system, which also mixes and handles buckets automatically. The alpha E, however, has an automatic dispensing and mixing system, yet a semi automatic bucket handling system. “The perfect solution for textile printers dealing with increasing quality demands, printers with export ambitions for instance,” Mr Timmen explains. “For when reproducibility becomes a must, merely an automatic dispensing system isn't enough anymore. In order to guarantee quality, you also need equipment to mix automatically. Automatic bucket handling, however, is only profitable as long as it results in a considerable reduction of labour costs.”
With the IPS alpha E, bucket handling remains a partly manual process. “This makes it particularly suitable for printers in rapidly growing textile export countries. Therefore, we expect the IPS alpha E to become very popular with South East Asian textile printers.”
Two Pegasus printing machines, one RD8, Stork's brand new IPS alpha E dispensing system, one fully operational bestLEN laser engraver, two fully operational digital textile printing machines, and a hotmelt screen coating unit will be shown at Stork's exhibit space.
9/27/05

A New Generation of Textile Printing Machines
The Netherlands – Stork introduces the Jade and Tourmaline digital printers, whose most important novelty is a sophisticated fabric control mechanism. A precision unwind station guides the fabric on to the blanket smoothly and precisely. Thermoplastic glue, with which the blanket is treated, holds the fabric in position. “With the Jade and the Tourmaline, overstretch and understretch will be things of the past”, says Mr. Jorg van der Meij, marketing manager of SDI (Stork Digital Imaging). This high degree of reliability also results in great efficiency advantages, Mr. Van der Meij explains: “You don't have to keep an eye on them constantly, which makes them true production machines. You can feed the Jade 150 metres of fabric, so to speak, and leave it alone to do its job.” The Tourmaline's specifications are similar to the Jade's except for its maximum printing width (2.20 m compared to the Jade's 1.60 m) and printing speed (up to 20% faster).
The Jade and the Tourmaline are faster than the previous generation of digital textile printing machines. Stork's focus, however, isn't that much on speed as it is on reproducibility, says Mr. Van der Meij: “The Jade and the Tourmaline are especially designed for printing textile, as is Stork's matching PrinterServer software. And obviously, Stork's latest digital textile printing machines are U See compatible.” U See is Stork's standard for guaranteeing colour consistency and full reproducibility between designs, samples, production orders and re-orders, regardless of where and when these different process steps take place.
9/27/05

Zweave Announces the Availability of 3D Fit Studio™, a Web-based Workspace to Support Anthropometric Fit and Sizing of Apparel Using 3D Body Scans
Boston , MA – Zweave, Inc., a provider of Collaborative Product Lifecycle Management (CPLM™) solutions for the consumer products industry, has completed the development of its 3D Fit Studio™ Solution in collaboration with OptiTex USA.
Zweave has received considerable funding from the Department of Defense to research, develop and build web based software to develop 3D solutions that would leverage extensive libraries of 3D body scans and 3D landmarks used in the design of products that fit target populations with increasing demographic diversity. Over a three-year period, Zweave has worked extensively with the Department of Defense pattern makers and anthropologists to develop a leading edge fit analysis workspace. This 3D workspace will increase the visibility and interaction of fit business processes within a broad apparel product lifecycle from fit testing, sizing system development, 3D portfolio and item visualization to web based workspaces.
Zweave's 3D Fit Studio™ solution integrates with FitCOMM™, the central command for managing fit, and a key module in Zweave's CPLM™ software portfolio. “3D Fit Studio™ supports collaboration and data management throughout the development lifecycle of products designed to fit a diverse population. This is the first 3D application built to truly support technical design with 3D visualization,” announced Laura McCann, Director of PLM consulting services. “3D tools on the market today emphasize visualization, fabric drape and silhouette. Our product emphasizes human factors, 3D body scans, landmarks and measurement capabilities that integrate seamlessly with PLM and pattern making.”
“With 3D Fit Studio™, technical designers, designers and pattern makers leveraging our OptiTex Runway ™ and PDS™ software can increase their capabilities and address the demand inside of their organizations for a collaborative workspace for managing technical fit activities,” says Yoram Burg, President OptiTex USA. “Zweave is allowing the Fit activity in apparel organizations to be collaborative by leveraging OptiTex's capabilities in a web based PLM solution for the first time. Any organization currently deploying a PLM initiative or considering doing so in the future can benefit today from our joint investments and innovations.”
9/23/05

PAXAR's Fray Resistant Satin Weave Tape Provides Less Expensive Alternative to Sonic Cut and Loop-folded Labels
White Plains, NY - Paxar Corporation, a global provider of merchandising systems including bar code, RFID and identification technologies for leading apparel manufacturers and the retail supply chain, has developed a soft satin tape that requires no expensive finishing station. Designated 910RFS tape, the true satin weave single-face material features a proprietary fray resistant coating that lasts up to over 50 home launderings when used with HS1111 ink. Ideal for black text, the white 910RFS is designed for sewn-in care labels that will be home laundered and dry cleaned.
The 100% polyester 910RFS tape provides a luxurious feel and portrays the appearance of true satin. When printed, the self-sealing satin weave labels stack easily and soften after washing. With the option to print with scanable bar codes, the tape prints on both sides using Paxar's SNAP 500 printer, as well as the company's 636/656/676 series printers. The new satin tape can be cut with a standard printer knife and is also thermal transfer printable.
9/23/05

PAD System Introduces New Manager 4.5
Montreal – Canada - PAD System has recently launched a new web-based production management (PDM) system: Manager 4.5. This user-friendly software based on Flash technology allows manufacturers to remotely and securely access, create, modify and manage product development information related to each style. This information includes design details, trimmings, sewing instructions, as well as the data directly imported from PAD's Pattern and Marker applications, suppliers and clients database and much more.
More, a panoply of printable reports is incorporated in Manager 4.5 (descriptive pattern and marker cards, specs and costs sheets, sewing steps, etc.) allow the user to have a clear and complete overview of available materials and styles attributes.
New high speed scanning solution (Scanner + NScan + PAD), the future of pattern digitalization process.
PAD System has also presented a first automated high-speed digitizing system consisting of a large-format scanner connected to the NScan software that allows the user to digitize pattern pieces in seconds and import them into PAD's Pattern application.
This combined solution is remarkable by its speed (up to 5 times faster than with digitizing table), simplicity (no special preparation is needed), accuracy and ease-of-use. Human digitizing errors are virtually eliminated; the system will be able to handle even the most complicated patterns and will also automatically recognize boundary lines, internal lines, notches, cutouts and more...
PAD System Technologies has recently established its PAD India Office in New Delhi and Bangalore and have joined forces with Jay Cee Enterprises to provide their customers with a full Demo Room in both these two major cities as well as their other Branch Offices in Tirupur, Chennai, Jaipur, Kanpur , Secunderabad and Ludhiana.
9/13/05

Sky IT Group Gives New Insight to Apparel Businesses
New York City— Sky IT Group, a provider of business intelligence solutions for the apparel industry, today announced immediate availability of its Fashion Avenue Dashboard – “ Fashion Dash” – to help apparel manufacturers and retailers and their customers use real-time data to help make informed business decisions that can improve their customer relationships and bottom lines.
“Our solution is built specifically for the apparel industry's complex business challenges and is customized to fit an individual company's needs and business rules,” said Jay Hakami, Sky IT Group president. “Whether it's used to obtain retail analysis from EDI 852 reports or to understand aged inventory and available-to-ship, within two weeks of installation, Fashion Dash provides measurable results thanks to the depth of apparel industry experience among our team.”
Fashion Avenue Dashboard combines WebFOCUS™, the powerful query/reporting tool from industry leader Information Builders, Inc., with skilled IT professionals to deliver the apparel industry's first comprehensive reporting platform. Priced affordably, Fashion Dash is hardware platform and database independent and, therefore, integrates with most existing ERP systems to give small- and mid-sized manufacturers and retailers trends, information and capabilities previously available only to larger companies.
Fashion Avenue Dashboard offers an easy-to-view desktop display of critical information most relevant to an employee's role and responsibilities – from the executive offices to sales, production and distribution functions. Dashboard data provides quick analysis of business activity, with drill-down capabilities to elaborate on any given product or problem.
9/12/05

Jesta I.S. Announces New Product Offerings Through a Strategic Reseller Relationship with Triversity
New York, NY – Jesta I.S., a supplier of business solutions for the apparel, footwear and consumer goods industries, announced today that it has forged an alliance with Triversity Inc., an international provider of customer-centric POS solutions. The agreement allows Jesta I.S. to offer private-label versions of various in-store solutions to the retail market including point-of-sale, mobile point-of-sale, customer relationship management, loyalty, sales audit and loss prevention.
Jesta I.S. will re-brand the offering and go to market with Vision POS, part of the Vision Suite of solutions. The synergies that exist between the Jesta and Triversity suite of solutions offers retailers unlimited visibility for back office, point-of-sale and point-of-contact transactions as well as the ability to efficiently align and monitor all processes.
As a value-added solution, Jesta's Vision Item Locator, a web-based module that enables retailers to perform in-store style look-ups to locate goods across the chain directly from the Vision POS solution. This browser based solution allows the cashier to access the organization's intranet site to display customer product information, place an order and even allow the customer to sign-up for loyalty programs.
9/12/05

Hi-end Body Scanning Input Now Available in OptiTex Runway 3-D
New York and San Francisco - OptiTex USA, Inc and Cyberware Inc. announces a new integration and mutual product offering for their 3-D design solution and advanced body scanning products.
Following extensive product development and testing conducted by teams of software engineers at both companies, OptiTex and Cyberware are now happy to announce the introduction of a 3-D cloth simulation display. This new software module allows OptiTex 3-D Runway users to directly input any PLY files into the OptiTex Runway 3-D software resulting in a display of a hi-resolution raw input of a body scan directly inside OptiTex Runway for later 3-D draping.
This new add-on further strengthens OptiTex 3-D Runway technology, already allowing its users to incorporate complex processes such as Fabric collision, intersections and motion capabilities into one file that can later on be displayed, e-mailed and viewed by non OptiTex users. Real life representations are no longer computer static images and objects but real life situations that dramatically increase speed to market.
“The opportunities while using this new module are priceless, reduction in fit sessions, improved collaboration, less dependency and dramatic increases in accuracy are just some of the benefits one can expect by using real life body scans over computer generated ones.” Says Julia Shaw, OptiTex national support manager, “while the computer generated mannequin can accommodate different situations and possible fit session, the real life body scan gets you as close as possible to real life” adds Ms. Shaw.
“We see this as just the beginning of the integration of actual users/consumers into the garment design, selection and retail process.” Adds Stephen Addleman, VP Cyberware.
9/12/05

TUKATECH Systems for 14 ATDC locations in India
Los Angeles, CA - Apparel Export Promotion Council, sponsored by Ministry of Textiles, India has selected the TUKATECH Systems for their Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC) vocational schools all over the country. ATDC vocational centres are funded and run by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) through Ministry of Textiles in India.
A total of 168 systems comprising of TUKAcad 2005 for Patten Making, Grading and Marker Making with digitizers and plotters and TUKAstudio for Prints and Fabrics development will be installed in ATDC at Delhi , Noida, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Tirupur, Surat, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Bhuvneshwar, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Indore.
These training centres train High School graduates and provide them with skills and knowledge in various fields of Apparel Manufacturing. ATDC covers all aspects of manufacturing techniques from, Product development to Manufacturing Technology and quality management to Production Pattern Making. The objective of ATDC is to support national exporters with educated, skilled and experienced craft persons who can produce Knitted and Woven products to International Standards. Over 10,000 students graduate from these Centres annually.
“We have been believers of ATDC for a very long time and have been running training and Internship Programs with ATDC for over six years. Many graduates of ATDC are employed with TUKATECH. Some of these graduates with further training have helped set up Product Development Departments with TUKAsystems in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Hong Kong and of course in India” says Ram K. Sareen, Head Coach and Founder of TUKAgroup of companies. “Today over 160 Fashion Schools teach with TUKAcad systems, we are very proud to add ATDC and AEPC to that list”, he added.
9/7/05

3D Textile Capture
Edinburgh , Scotland - Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland have developed a technique for capturing 3D images of textiles and textured surfaces using an ordinary flatbed scanner. Until now, achieving such photorealism required complex laser scanning and image manipulation techniques.
Based on a low cost, multi-pass light scanning technique combined with proprietary software developed by Heriot Watt University , the technology offers:

The principal market is texture capture for use in e-marketing applications (virtual catalogues etc.), wallcoverings, textiles and industrial design where the requirement to view realistic textures in a virtual environment is paramount.
9/7/05

Yunique Launches ADAM - Apparel Digital Asset Management Solution
New York, NY –Yunique Solutions Inc., a developer of product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital asset management (DAM) solutions for the fashion and related industries, announces the availability of ADAM™, a web-based Digital Asset Management system created specifically for the apparel market. ADAM delivers the comprehensive image management, archiving, and collaboration tools that today's fast-paced, highly competitive fashion retailers, brands, manufacturers, and suppliers need to accelerate product development cycle times and reduce costs.
ADAM serves as a centralized storage area for sketches, artwork, logos, trims, accessories, fabric swatches, storyboards, photos, presentations, and virtually any type of digital asset. It enables users to attach all relevant information and attributes to each stored asset. This searchable ‘metadata' can include information such as image size, creation date, color, season, copyright information, etc.
To support the benefits of organization and collaboration, ADAM is a 100% web-based solution built on the latest Microsoft .NET framework. This makes it readily available on both MAC and PC platforms, and provides instant and secure access to authorized users anywhere, anytime. To ensure ease-of-use, ADAM accepts all standard file formats including native Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop files, as well as all major proprietary CAD systems.
“Aside from its people, the most valuable assets a fashion company has are its designs, artwork, and other digital files,” stated Darioush Nikpour, Vice President of Business Development for Yunique Solutions. ”We are pleased that we can be the first to bring a comprehensive asset management and collaboration solution that meets the unique needs of our industry in an affordable and easy to use web-based package.”
9/6/05

NatureWorks Increases Speed-to-Market for IngeoTM Fibers With TEXbase's Textile Marketing Manager
Bozeman, Mont. – Today, Bozeman-based TEXbase announced that with the use of its Textile Marketing Manager, NatureWorks has reduced its data management costs and significantly streamlined its licensee turnaround times by upwards of 75%. NatureWorks produces the NatureWorks® PLA polymer from which Ingeo fibers™ are made.
With downstream textile market development occurring with the Ingeo brand in twenty nine countries and on three continents, NatureWorks faced the challenge of managing information regarding hundreds of downstream brand partners and the thousands of products these brand licensees manufacture. As the PLA polymer flows through the supply chain from fiber spinner to yarn spinner to textile mill and finally to the manufacturer, successive products need to be certified according to Ingeo Fibers brand guidelines.
“TEXbase's Textile Marketing Manager is reducing our market development costs and increasing the speed at which Ingeo branded products are taken to market,” said Steve Davies, Director – Fibers Business Development at NatureWorks.
In addition to internal data management tools, Textile Marketing Manager also offers real-time integration with customer websites through TEXbase's service oriented software architecture. “NatureWorks is capturing mind share and increasing market share for Ingeo fibers. The way in which data from TEXbase integrates instantly with NatureWorks' website allows us to cost effectively educate downstream buyers about who is making what products using our polymer. Textile Marketing Manager is helping us build momentum in the marketplace and pull our polymer through the chain” continued Davies.
9/6/05

Paxar Sponsors China Symposium and Sourcing Fair
White Plains, NY - Paxar Corporation, a provider of merchandising systems including bar code, RFID and identification technologies for leading apparel manufacturers and the retail supply chain, today announced it will sponsor the China Symposium and Sourcing Fair hosted by Apparel Magazine.
From September 19-22, 2005, the Sourcing Fair will feature exhibits of textile raw materials, production sources and apparel agents. Attendees and exhibitors will also have the opportunity to attend technical sessions and tour local apparel and textile facilities.
“With people in attendance from around the world, corporations have the opportunity to make a face-to-face impact on leaders of the apparel industry,” said Jim McLaughlin, Vice President of Sales, Americas Apparel Group. “Sponsoring and attending the event will allow us to utilize all of the resources the Symposium has to offer.”
The Sourcing Fair will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Hundreds of organizations have registered to exhibit and attend, and more are expected. Registering for the event also makes companies eligible for the Matchmaking Program, an online tool enabling attendees to schedule meetings with exhibitors during the Sourcing Fair.
For more information, go to www.apparelmag.com.
9/6/05

Paxar Hosts Brand Protection Seminar
White Plains, NY - Paxar Corporation, a global provider of merchandising systems including bar code, RFID and identification technologies for leading apparel manufacturers and the retail supply chain, today announced it will host two seminars in Southern California focusing on protecting corporate brands and images. The seminars will be attended by manufacturers and retailers from all facets of the apparel industry.
“Counterfeiting is a potential problem for most successful brands,” said Paul Chamandy, Vice President of New Business Development, Paxar Apparel Systems. “A protection strategy should be part of every corporation's original brand development.”
On Tuesday, September 13, 2005, in Newport Beach and again on Thursday, September 15, 2005, in downtown Los Angeles, Paxar will show participants how to protect their brands and customers from counterfeiting and diversion. Both events will take place from 11:30a.m. to 1:30p.m.
According to Chamandy, the issue of brand protection is becoming increasingly important as production of apparel is moving offshore. Studies indicate that sales of counterfeited product have increased 400% since the early 1990s.
For more information, or if you would like to attend Paxar's “Protecting you Brand” Seminar, please contact Michael Barton at 972.726.7292.
9/6/05

SDC Publishes Colour Index Heritage Edition
Bradford , UK - In response to many requests for historical information about colorants and their classification, the Society of Dyers and Colourists is publishing the Colour Index Heritage Edition, a DVD that brings together all the material published in the Colour Index between 1924 and 1999, prior to the publication of the Fourth Edition Online.
With over 16,000 pages of information presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) as scanned page images, the Heritage Edition is navigated by a series of hyperlinked ‘bookmarks'.
A demo version is available showing the presentation of the pages and how they are referenced by ‘bookmarks' via the introductory home page. It contains 50 pages on the application properties of pigments and 50 pages on the chemical properties of monoazo colorants, both from the Third Edition.
Comments Paul Dinsdale, the Society's professional services manager: “It represents an affordable, low-cost way of capturing an immense amount of historically valuable information that can often have application in the present day.”
Anyone wanting more information, or a copy of the demo version, should contact colour.index@sdc.org.uk
9/6/05

Methods Workshop to Market Estmark Fabric Costing Solution
Asheville, NC and Lake Worth, FL –Estmark, Inc., a developer of fabric costing solutions and services for the sewn-products industries, and Methods Workshop LLC, a supplier of sewn-products industrial engineering and labor costing solutions, announce a marketing agreement whereby Methods Workshop will distribute Estmark ä, the innovative software solution designed to quickly and accurately estimate production fabric consumption and costs early in the product development cycle.
Estmark is a PC-based software solution capable of estimating in advance, to within 1%, the actual production consumption of fabrics for a specific style or production program. Starting early in pre-production with information generated in any pattern design and marker making system, Estmark utilizes embedded cutting room process intelligence to comprise all relevant factors required to calculate the actual amount of fabric that will be needed to produce the product(s). The program greatly automates the costing process, typically returning highly accurate results in less than ten minutes per style. Estmark typically presents an opportunity for savings ranging from 5% to 10% of the cost of fabric.
“With fabric consumption now representing 60% or more of the wholesale cost of apparel and other sewn products, we have been looking to extend our range of solutions to capture this important cost information,” stated John Stern, President of Methods Workshop. “We see Estmark as the perfect companion product to our existing line of engineering solutions. Just like Quick TruCost does for labor, Estmark enables users to quickly and accurately calculate fabric consumption with minimal time, effort, and data entry.”
“We are pleased to work with Methods Workshop,” added Robert Broadhead, Founder and President of Estmark, Inc. “They have built a solid reputation for delivering and supporting high quality, leading-edge products around the world. We share a rich heritage in the sewn products industries, which we believe will bring added-value to the companies that we will together serve.”
8/30/05

Rocawear Speeds Products to Market with Yunique Solutions
New York, NY –Yunique Solutions Inc., a developer of product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital asset management (DAM) solutions for the fashion and related industries, announces that Rocawear has implemented its plmOn™ solution at its Manhattan headquarters. Since initial implementation began in October 2004, the browser-based PLM solution and supporting business process consulting services provided by Yunique have enabled the urban wear marketer to reduce product development cycle times in its core businesses by 66%.
“Yunique has helped us to get everyone from design through sourcing working on the same page”, stated Dana Kopet, Manager of MIS at Rocawear. “Before we implemented the system, our internal communications were lacking. If we ask five people the same question, we would get five different answers. Now, we hit our timelines far better and actually get things done on time.”
Rocawear has already implemented plmOn for nearly 40 users across its fashion and technical design, trim, and production departments. Plans are to double the number of internal users in the coming months, then expand use to include customers and trading partners.
8/29/05

AATCC Joins MegaTex 2006
Research Triangle Park, NC - The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) has signed a contract for the purpose of co-locating the annual AATCC International Conference & Exhibition (IC&E) with MEGATEX 2006. The event will be held October 31 through November 3, 2006, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
Robert K. Lattie of SDL Atlas, AATCC president, said, “ AATCC is very pleased to co-locate its annual International Conference & Exhibition at the MEGATEX exhibition in conjunction with ATME-I in Atlanta. AATCC and the textile industry will benefit by having our program be a part of this important industry event. We will also be hosting the Annual IC&E Awards Banquet, cutting edge poster sessions, and popular student activities.”
David Tellett of Mack Brooks Exhibitions said, “We are delighted to have the AATCC International Conference & Exhibition co-locating with us at MEGATEX. The textile industry is responding to change right now, and the concept of drawing the many strands of the textile industry together under one roof for the first time at MEGATEX – the ultimate networking event - is generating a huge amount of interest, both within the U.S. and overseas. The AATCC event brings yet another dimension alongside the ATME-I 2006 textile machinery exhibition and the IFAI Expo, which showcases industrial fabrics technologies. Indications are that over 40% of visiting buyers at the event will come to Atlanta from outside the U.S. It's an exciting prospect, and one that is drawing support from all corners of the industry.”
8/15/05

AATCC Forms First International Section
Research Triangle Park , NC - The AATCC Board of Directors has announced its unanimous vote to approve the formation of its first international section, which will serve the country of India. According to Robert K. Lattie, of SDL Atlas, AATCC president, “This move is a logical next step in continuing AATCC's global membership growth. We now have a solid base to offer sectional activities and further enhance the Association's educational programs while providing valuable networking opportunities for our Indian members.”
AATCC has conducted numerous training programs related to AATCC test methods on colorfastness, physical properties, and fiber identification in India. Training has taken place in textile centers such as Madras, Tirupur, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Gurgoan. Jayakumar Gopalakrishnan of Global Resource Management Group, AATCC Board member, said “AATCC members in India have long awaited the formal formation of this local section, which is the first for AATCC outside the United States. We have named a chair for this new section, K. Venkatarayan of Intertek Testing Services, and will soon announce a meeting to elect the remaining section officers. We look forward to carrying on the important technical education and training mission at the local level, reflecting the high caliber of programs for which AATCC is well known.”
8/12/05

Herff Jones ‘Graduates with Honors' in Manufacturing
Alpharetta , GA – Eton Systems, a provider of unit production systems (UPS) for the sewn-product industries, announces that customer Herff Jones has recently completed the implementation of its third Eton production line at its Arcola, IL plant. This addition completes the transformation from progressive bundle system to unit production for virtually all of the company's ‘ClassKeeper™' or retainable cap and gown production.
A producer of graduation caps and gowns in the USA, Herff Jones Company of Indiana, Inc. produces more than 1.5 million graduation gowns each year. Beginning with its first Eton implementation in 2001, Herff Jones has systematically implemented three Eton production lines, beginning with gowns and then moving cap production online. The graduation apparel line comprises kindergarten, high school, college, doctor, and other custom apparel.
“The need to maintain competitiveness lead us to evaluate Eton ,” stated Terry Hayden, Plant Manager at Arcola and a 21-year veteran of the company. “We are constantly looking to maximize efficiency, minimize costs, and improve quality. We have been able to achieve all of these goals with Eton . We were very pleased with how quickly and smoothly each implementation went. We had full production within one week and have increased efficiencies by more than 20% on average. We met our return-on-investment projections of less than one year based solely on direct labor and associated overhead cost savings.”
8/10/05

Unifi Introduces aio™ all-in-one Performance Yarns
Greensboro, N.C. – Unifi's revolutionary new aio™ all-in-one performance yarns combine multiple properties for outstanding performance, allowing wearers to focus on what they are doing and not on what their clothes are doing. The aio™ all-in-one performance yarns can incorporate any combination of properties such as wicking, stretch, antimicrobial and UV protection into a single performance yarn.
“With aio™ all-in-one performance yarns, you can get all of the performance properties you want and need, in any combination,” said Roger Berrier, commercial operations manager for Unifi Inc. “These yarns can be fully customized, with an endless range of possibilities and applications, and the properties are inherent in the yarn so it is made for endurance and permanent performance.”
8/10/05