With the Industry upbeat after a phase of political instability wage increase gets substantiated when Taiwan-based Hikari Precise Machinery Science & Technology bags deals from companies like Clifton Group and Hela Clothing. Participating at the Garmentech fair with its sole agent Sewmak, Hikari showcased a complete range of sewing automates for wide array of apparels. Till last year, the company reported selling of sewing machines worth US $ 3 million every year in Bangladesh alone.
For the first time, the company showcased the conveyorized in-line material handling system from Chijiu, which debuted at the recently concluded CISMA fair in Shanghai and has been quite successful in Chinese apparel manufacturing facilities. The material handling system is aimed at improving the line balancing, reducing WIP levels within sewing lines, standardising the takt time, reducing the operator idle time and improving the overall man-machine utilization. “The sole purpose of showcasing such a system in Bangladesh was to educate the industry about systems which promise improved productivity and labour utilization, through improved handling of material within the sewing lines,” explains Alex, Regional Manager International Business Department, Hikari. Being conveyorised in nature, the system helps in recognition of the slower and less efficient sewing operators in a sewing line, helping production managers to do better line balancing and skill development.
In the automates range, Hikari’s HX6800TA of computerized overlock machines were much appreciated. The machine is equipped with automatic thread trimming, automatic presser foot lift, automatic thread tail sucking and a direct drive servo motor, which not only saves 2/3rd of the electricity consumption but also reduces the labour intensity by 30% for ease of operation, as compared to older versions. With 30% increased sewing speed, the machine guarantees a 35% increase in working efficiency. Operating at the maximum speed of 8000 RPM, the machine is available in 1 to 3 needles and 3 to 6 thread variants.
In association with its agent Sewmak, Hikari has setup a service centre in the country along with the presence of 2 Chinese technicians and spare parts storage.
