#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

2023-10-05

Introducing Smartex FACT: a digital textile factory in your pocket

The future for knitting factories is already here! There’s no longer a need to be physically present to oversee and control your production. Get a glimpse of the Modern Textile Factory with Smartex FACT, your all-in-one digital factory management solution. Boost your factory operations, gain real-time visibility, improve quality with Automatic Roll Grading, and receive instant production notifications - accessible anywhere, at any time, on your devices.

Picture this: sipping your morning coffee while already knowing what happened in your factory overnight. Transform the way you manage your factory operations today. Say "no more" to the lack of digitalization and control over your production.

Manufacturers often struggle with inefficiencies, quality issues, and the need for manual inspections, which can lead to increased costs and decreased competitiveness. Smartex FACT steps in to address these challenges by providing automated performance insights into machine data, roll production statistics and quality. You can also personalize settings for quality control and even utilize a 'fast track' option for Grade A rolls (high-quality rolls that can go straight to your customer without any manual inspection). With data-driven decision-making at their fingertips, knitting manufacturers can now elevate factory operations, ensure consistent quality, boost overall efficiency, and outpace the ever-evolving competitive landscape of the textile industry.

Enough suspense, let’s dive right into Smartex FACT’s key features:

Automatic Roll Grading: with this feature, Smartex FACT enables you to set up your own Quality Standards to determine the automatic grading of knitted rolls based on the severity of detected defects. With a defined grading system in place, you can guarantee uniform quality standards throughout your production process, thanks to Smartex CORE’s AI-driven quality control. Typically, in the case of knitted fabric rolls, only about 10% undergo inspection.

But worry not – we've got you covered. With Smartex, every roll will undergo automatic inspection and grading, with Grade-A rolls receiving a Fast Track label - that can be printed and applied to rolls with Smartex LOOP - so you always know where to focus your attention.

With our Digital Factory Page, users gain a complete overview of their factory including the number of machines currently running and rolls produced on that day.

Our My Machines Page provides in-depth, precise data about the performance of every machine powered with Smartex within your factory, including RPM speed and operating time. You'll have the tools to comprehensively assess each machine's performance empowering you to fine-tune machine operations, boosting both quality and productivity across your factory.

On top of the importance of speed and performance, Smartex places a high priority on quality. Our My Rolls Page grants clients access to a whole month of their production history. Here, you can zoom into each roll's production details to assess quality and even review where defects were detected in the digital roll map.

Last but certainly not least, stay in the know with Real-time Notifications tailored to your priorities. Whether it's machines operating at a lower RPM, excessive machine downtime, or the identification of poor-quality rolls, you'll receive timely updates. As a result, you can make data-informed decisions around increasing RPM speed, inspecting lower-quality rolls, and responding to other machine-related issues.

Gilberto Loureiro, Co-founder and CEO of Smartex.ai, stated, "Our new product takes manufacturing and quality control to the next level. With Smartex FACT, users will be able to know when rolls don’t meet the requested quality or when production issues arise. And with the platform being easily accessible via desktop or any smartphone, it is basically your textile factory in your pocket."

As a pioneering and award-winning company, Smartex has consistently been at the forefront of transforming textile factories through hardware-based software solutions and the creation of essential tools for the Modern Textile Factory. Today, we take immense pride in unveiling our latest innovation to the world: Smartex FACT. This cutting-edge platform opens the door to undeniable data for factory operations, equipping clients to fortify their businesses for the future. With the power of data-driven decision-making, enhanced efficiency, and elevated quality, Smartex FACT is set to redefine the knitting textile industry landscape.

Don't wait, join the hundreds of leading factories already using AI in their production today with Smartex FACT (now available in English, Portuguese, and Turkish with more languages coming soon!). Visit www.smartex.ai to learn more or contact sales@smartex.ai to get started.

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

Modtissimo is proving more and more to be a textile and clothing show that delivers the latest innovations in the area of sustainability, with the iTechStyle Green Circle being the main showcase for companies' creations. In this 60+4 edition, taking place on 12 and 13 September, 28 coordinates will be exhibited in a section organised by CITEVE and curated by Paulo Gomes.

The EU and Egypt team up to mobilise private sector investments at Investment Conference and sign a Memorandum of Understanding underpinning €1 billion in macro-financial assistance for Egypt

At the EU-Egypt Investment Conference, co-organised by the EU and the Government of Egypt on 29-30 June, the EU and Egypt are teaming up to intensify private sector investments in Egypt. They are also signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the disbursement to Egypt of up to €1 billion in Macro-Financial Assistance.

Lenze receives IEC 62443-4-1 certification: TÜV Rheinland confirms cyber-secure development process

Lenze SE has been certified according to IEC 62443-4-1 since November 2025. TÜV Rheinland thus confirms that Lenze meets the requirements of this internationally recognized standard for a secure development process for industrial automation and drive products. The certification is an important milestone on the way to implementing the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which will become mandatory for machine manufacturers and their suppliers from December 2027.

Mango joins TextileGenesis pioneering traceability solution, a Lectra company, for a transparent value chain

Mango, one of the leading international fashion groups, has joined TextileGenesis, the pioneering traceability solution for the fashion and textile industries, to trace their natural and animal fibers, synthetics, man-made cellulosic fibers and leather. TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, offers a complete and secure cutting-edge technology with its six-dimensional (6D) offering and unique “fiber forwards” approach. Mango, has long been committed to maintaining a fully transparent supply chain, and TextileGenesis will reinforce this commitment.

Navis TubeTex announces U.S. partnership with Icomatex

Navis TubeTex, a global leader in advanced dyeing and finishing machinery solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Icomatex (www.icomatex.com), a respected European manufacturer of high-quality stenters and textile finishing equipment. Under this agreement, Navis TubeTex will exclusively represent the Icomatex stenter line in the United States.

ADVANSA launches ADVA®tex: A new step toward textile-to-textile recycling

ADVANSA has introduced ADVA®tex, a new filling fibre made entirely from recycled pre-consumer textile waste, positioning the material as a significant step forward in textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling. The fibre is designed for use in duvets, pillows, mattresses, and furniture applications and is available in three versions.

KARL MAYER celebrates 35 years of EL pattern drive

KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.