Last couple of years have seen the increased use of bonding technologies for the comfort and better performance which is facilitated by the innovation and product development team of international brands catering to not only outdoor garments, sportswear and Intimatewear but also shirts as one of the latest developments. All because of the advantages of total flat seam without any puckering which cannot be avoided with a traditional cut and sew operation. With this increased focus on bonded products, the market has opened up for a lot of bonding and welding machine suppliers. Taking a lead among many is Shanghai based Hanfor Industrial Company.
Claiming to be the first Chinese enterprise to offer one of the most promising developments in domain of fabric joining without needle and thread in form of advanced pressing, hot air, hydraulic, laser cutting, ultrasonic and welding equipment, Hanfor’s offering are suitable for manufacturing underwear, socks, swimsuits, sweatshirts, ski suits, mountaineering apparels, down jackets, raincoats, waterproof winter clothes and gloves. Established in 2006, the company has always focused on its R&D and good training methods to emerge in the global front. The company today has become a well-known name in market of bonding machines, telling about success received in past 2 years Amie Chou, Sales Executive, Hanfor asserts, “We sold 600 machines worldwide in 2013 with majority of sales in Vietnam market followed by 35% in China and15% in India.”
The company has many technologies to offer and its popular models like HF-601 for arm side bonding, HF-2711 for hot air seam sealing, HF-703 for bonding fabric strip, HF-C100 for ultrasonic cutting and welding, HF-801 and HF-802, are all considered most appropriate for the Asian market. While HF-801 is used more in case of manufacturing seamless underwear and swimwear for hemming, HF-802 for lingerie folding and double-side bonding for side seams. With both the machine having upper and lower belts to adjust speed separately with air blowing and guide slot for independent temperature control stability up to +2 degree Celsius and maximum temperature till 200 degrees Celsius for adhesive application which can be set according to speed of machine and melting point to produce better efficiency with strap width variation as 14 mm and 20 mm, respectively. Talking about production capacity Amie Chou states, “In a 10-hour shift, 1,000 panties can be produced with the HF-801, while 800 bras can be produced with the HF-802,” confirms Amie Chou, and goes on to claim that their machines are 2 times more productive and 50% cheaper than its Italian competitors.
The prices of these bonding machines are relatively cheaper and the company believes to gain profit from this. “We deliver same quality with half price compared to our competitors,” boasts Shakthi, Sales and Maintenance Manager for Hanfor in India. The Chinese firm sold around 25 machines in regions of Mumbai, Tirupur and New Delhi last year to renowned manufacturers like Kotak, Ladycare and Lyca International.
