The 18th edition of KnitWorld was held at a very crucial time not only for Ludhiana, but for the overall Indian apparel manufacturing sector. The export market has slowed down and exporters are looking for process optimization, whereas the scenario is quite reverse in the domestic market with the demands soaring, consequently domestic manufacturers are looking for highly productive but quality machines. Ludhiana has its share of players from both segments and the exhibition saw participation of technology providers focussing on both elements.
The players in Ludhiana are currently investing in technology to achieve different goals. While the smaller players are looking at simple solutions the bigger ones are expanding capacities. Catering to both the domestic and export segments, Venus Garments is all set to expand its knitting infrastructure in the days to come. Similarly another Ludhiana player Top Trader Firm would be investing Rs. 3.5 crore in buying circular knitting machines, sewing machines and machines for value addition. Not only the domestic manufacturers but even the job workers were quite positive about buying new machines from sewing to knitting.
There has been an ongoing debate as to whether Ludhiana is now bending more to circular knitting machines, but if one looks at the technology showcased at the fair, the majority was flat knit machines not only from China and Taiwan but also of Indian make. Although circular knitting machines were present in decent numbers, they failed to attract significant amount of attention and even visitors were more inclined to the flat knitting machines though many did say that circular knitting has seen growing demand.
More than 95 per cent of the machines showcased were manufactured by Chinese companies and most of them have been in the Ludhiana market for quite a long time with an already good customer base. “People in the beginning were sceptical about using Chinese machines but after testing some machines, people have recognized the good ones and are now placing orders for the same,” said Gurudev Singh of Elex Engineering. The Chinese machines are not only doing well because of their competitive pricing but also because of being basic in technology and easy in operation. But then again the reason why Chinese machine manufacturers were quite visible was the absence of textile technology giants like ATE, Batliboi, Janaksons International and Techknits.
What most of the visitors were looking for is labour saving technology. “In Ludhiana, we have orders, we have the capital and we have the technology, but what is missing is the labour, in fact the skilled labour. That is why people are looking for computerized flat knits which reduce manual intervention and skill requirement,” said Rajender Ohri of Manju Dresses.
Apart from knitting machines and printing machines, and to be more specific screen printing solutions from companies like Grafica Flextronica and DCC (M&R USA), were flocked with visitors. Both the machines displayed were automatic screen printing machines, and were sold out to Ludhiana based companies by the third day of the fair. The reason for the good response was that screen printing is already being done in Ludhiana in a big way and due to the increased demand requirement for automated machinery and process standardization has increased. But unlike the trend seen at the GTE with Digital Printers making a significant mark, companies like Mimaki Kanphor, Apsom Technologies and MS Orange were not present at the fair. With only a few digital printing technology providers present, digital printing proved to be ‘not’ Ludhiana’s cup of tea.
Tajima presents technologies for the next level of sequin attachment
In the milieu of many low-priced embroidery machines in the market today, Tajima stands out for its expensive, but value for money machines with durable quality that rarely breaks down. Established in 1970, Tajima was conceptualized in 1964 when the parent company Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Corporation ventured in manufacturing embroidery machines, which were till then only in the hands of highly skilled craftsmen. Tajima not only has to its name the first embroidery machine, but has also manufactured more than 3000 types of embroidery machine with 1 to 56 heads. Global brands like Gucci, Prada, Armani, DKNY, Lacoste and many more trust only Tajima machines for embroidery work.
Tajima has a major presence in the export segment of the Indian apparel manufacturing scene with more than 10,000 machines installed allover India. But with the domestic market growing and quality becoming the top priority, Tajima now has a new segment to penetrate. “Ludhiana is no more just about knitted fabric; companies have started adding value to their business with printing, embroidery and garmenting. Hence it is a growing market for us to tap,” avers Sandeep Singh Dhingra, Marketing Manager, Tajima, representing the company at the fair. Presently around 40 embroidery machines from Tajima are running in Ludhiana.
The reputation earned by Tajima is such that even job workers have started opting for Tajima embroidery machines, more so as the bigger garment manufacturers have become selective of the job-workers and the machines they are using. “The most apt example is the Delhi/NCR region where recently a lot of job workers have purchased Tajima embroidery machines,” adds Robert Jedrek, GM Sales, Tajima Asia Pt. Ltd.
At the KnitWorld, Tajima was showcasing their TCMX series embroidery machine with sequin device III twin type, which enables embroidery of 4 different types of sequins, not only in colour and design, but from the vast size range of 2 to 22 mm possible in combination with sequin device IV. The sequin device is the only device of its type with the ability to attach 4 sequins at a time, at a speed of 1000 RPM. “The most important aspect of technologies from Tajima is that they do exactly what we claim, and the machines are built keeping in mind the requirement of technology 5 years from now,” says Robert.
Narinder International showcases knitting innovations from Senher and Kauo Heng
Narinder International since its establishment in 1987 has evolved as a complete textile solutions provider not only for Ludhiana but the whole country. It is the sole distributor for Tong Wu (dyeing machines), T&B (automatic embroidery machines), Tien Yang (circular knitting machine), Year Phoenix (shearing machines), Kauo Heng (flat knitting machines) Chan Hun (caps and gloves knitting machines) and Hongyuan (spinning machines).
The machines displayed at the fair were from SENHER Precision Machinery who showcased their single knit circular knitting machine, double knit circular knit machine, rib circular knit machines, 3 – thread fleece end fleece circular knitting machines and also electronic jacquard circular knitting machines. “Features which make the machine stand apart in its class are its computerized operations which enables the machine to adjust according to the GSM of the fabric, the machine also has a special CAM system for handling various blends and Lycra-based yarns with ease,” adds Narinder Kumar of Narinder International, representing his company at the fair.
Senher provides a kit along with the machine which enables it to convert the machine into a knit terry fabric and fleece knitting machine. The double jersey knitting machines are fitted with needles having broad butt designs which enable the machine to produce fabric of different dimensions; also the machine is equipped to produce spandex fabrics with double jersey. This feature is a boom as it saves lot of time and money in this rapidly changing garment industry.
Narinder International also deals in Kauo Heng computerized flat and jacquard knitting machines manufactured in Taiwan, and was displaying its new innovations for collar knitting and sweater knitting. Among those is the KH100 machine with double system knitting operation designed to produce two knitting designs in tandem. Also displayed was the KHS 300 sweater knitting machine, having an independent carriage system for knitting front and back panels simultaneously.
Grafica introduces the new Nano-prinTex to capture the sprouting printing market in Ludhiana
The recently launched Nano-prinTex automatic screen printing machine by Grafica Flextronica was a crowd puller at the KnitWorld. “The printer since its launch earlier this year has received astounding number of inquiries at each and every fair we have participated since, and the same was repeated at this fair,” said an upbeat Bhargav Mistry, MD, Grafica. The machine is recommended with the Nano-Screen maker not only for optimising the process of screen preparation but also increasing the quality of the screens – improving the overall results of printing.
The Nano-prinTex is equipped with NPL-Tex electric textile dryer and a flash curing unit, which completes the full pre-press system. The printer’s screen making system is equipped with a squeegee sharpener, making the printer stand-out in its class. The Nano-prinTex offers a unique combination of 12 colours and 14 pallets. Available in a total of 6 variants, the machine has the maximum frame size of 28” X 35” which provides excellent print quality, while improving the registration by lowering the inherent distortion factor. The pallets made of high-quality lightweight aluminium, are controlled by an independent pallet levelling system, which enables precise control at all the four corners ensuring uniform squeegee pressure all over the print.
Grafica has evolved in a small period of time as a one-stop-shop solution provider for all kinds of screen printing needs and has also taken up the initiative of educating the industry about various aspects of screen printing. “Participation at fairs is not only about selling machine but about educating the industry of that region, about how to improve screen printing and also getting their feedback about our product,” adds Mistry. The company has been catering to the screen printing industry in India and abroad since 1989 with a customer base of over 2000 clients.
Grafica is also exporting the ‘Made in India’ screen printing machines to countries such as USA, Russia, France, Kenya, Dubai, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
