Monforts sanforising line completes major investment for Fabricato

Fabricato SA is today recognised as Colombia’s largest textile company producing more than 8 million m/month of finished fabric; and can trace its origins back to 1920. Three years ago, with the appointment of a new President, it was to initiate a new philosophy to meet market trends and demands; aimed at increasing production whilst bringing down production costs to make them more competitive.

According to Fabricato’s Head of New Projects, Carlos Alberto Rueda, the company recognises that it may be unable to compete with its Asian competitors on price. “However,” he added, “we can certainly beat them on quality, directly attributed to our many years’ experience, particularly with denim.”

The aim of the new philosophy is exemplified by a major two year project valued at $30 million and intended to modernise production lines to increase production, further improve quality and reduce production costs.

The project, included the installation of 105 additional air jet looms, a sizing unit, an 8-colour rotary printing unit, a bleaching range, a pad-steam line, laboratory equipment plus a Monforts 10-chamber Montex stenter, a Thermosol range and a sanforising line.

The imminent commissioning of the Monforts sanforising line marks the completion of the major project and new philosophy.

“A principal change in the philosophy is that before 2009 production regardless of cost had been a key objective.” Said Carlos adding,“Today it has become more orientated towards the customer, with a reduced production cost.”

“50 years friendship”
With its first Monforts installed more than 50 years ago, Fabricato today has a total of eight Montex Stenters, six Sanforisers and a Thermex. “There was no hesitation therefore in ordering the new Monforts equipment from another ‘friend’, the local representative, Servimtexa.

Fabricato has nine business lines providing a wide range of textiles including yarns; flat-woven fabrics such as denim, twilled, poplin and wool; knitted fabrics and non-wovens. Home textile products include bedsheet sets, mattress and pillar covers, towels, table clothes and kitchen wear. Knitted fabrics for fashion wear include 100% cotton, polyester/cotton, cotton/viscose, nylon/cotton, 100% viscose polyester//viscos and cotton/linen. Monforts machines feature in all the woven fabric lines.

Denim production
Recent months has seen more emphasis by Fabricato on denim production making it a key product; together with military and police uniforms. Up to 60% of production today is devoted to denim working with 250 – 420 gm/m² denim weights – although the norm is 300 gm/m².

Currently, the latest Montex stenter line is finishing both denim and military uniform fabrics. However on completion of the new sanforising line installation – supervised by Heinz Wengert, Servimtexa - the stenter and sanforiser will be used exclusively for denim finishing; anticipating almost 2.6 million m/month.

Uniforms will then be transferred to a second line using poly/cotton, 100% cotton and cotton/polyamide with a 250 gm/m² weight. A very thin 100% polyamide is also used for uniforms.

In another line, a 2-chamber Montex is used in a coating range in front of a pre-dryer to apply waterproofing and ‘breathability’ coatings to uniform fabics.

The new Montex has replaced two older lines which had previously operated at 20 m/min – to provide increased 30 – 50 m/min operation depending on the fabric weight and process.

New sanforiser
The recently introduced Monfortex 8000 sanforiser – the second in Colombia – offers a 750 mm dia drum compared with the previous 500 mm ensures increased capacity. The new Sanforiser also allows faster rubber belt changes taking just a single shift compared with the industry two days standard.

Belt grinding is also considerably improved to ensure that a minimum of rubber is ground thereby increasing the efficiency and life of the belt.

Thermosol line
The Thermex 6500 has been installed in combination with a Fongs pad/dry steam range and offers a production speed of 40 – 50 m/min. Featuring three chambers with the third heating up to 190 - 200º for heatsetting, the Thermex ensures shrinkage treatment.

The Thermosol line is used for 100% cotton and reactive dyeing whilst the pad steam unit is used with the line for poly/cotton blend fabrics.

Boilers
Two boilers, also supplied by Monforts for the Fabricato installations, supply 2.5 million K calories for the new Montex and a smaller 1 million K calories for the Thermex. Both boilers are configured for gas or oil power.

Exports
Fabricato currently exports 25% of its fabrics and following the recent FTA (Free Trade Agreement) signings with the USA and EU, will be looking to increase this figure in the near future.

“For the future we will certainly be looking to increase our export sales following the new trade agreements. But, particularly for the USA, they require finished garments,” said Carlos, elaborating, “Whilst we produce a limited amount, it will be necessary to seek garment making partners.

“However, for the immediate future we are concentrating on consolidating production to reduce production costs and meet the demands of our existing customers – which l am certain will be achieved very quickly, led by the new Monforts lines.”