#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

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Modtissimo promotes sustainability with 28 coordinates in the Green Circle

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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.

Suzhou Tianyuan boosts costing accuracy to 98% with Coats Digital’s GSDCost

Coats Digital is delighted to announce that Suzhou Tianyuan Garments Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of high-quality sportswear and functional apparel for global brands such as Adidas, FILA, ANTA, and The North Face, has achieved remarkable productivity and cost management improvements following the implementation of Coats Digital’s award-winning method-time-cost optimisation solution, GSDCost.

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.

Artificial Intelligence in focus: Heimtextil 2026 prepares global textile industry for the future with strong content programme

Artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms the textile industry - from creation and production to pricing, distribution and communication. But how can AI be applied successfully, and where does it truly add value? Heimtextil addresses these questions from 13 to 16 January 2026: The comprehensive programme dedicated to the key future field AI strengthens the global industry and opens up new business opportunities as well as practical applications for design, retail, industry, architecture, interior design and contract furnishing.

Texpertise Focus AI: Messe Frankfurt puts Artificial Intelligence centre stage at its international textile and apparel trade fairs

Under the banner 'Texpertise Focus AI, Messe Frankfurt will place a strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its international textile and apparel trade fairs from 2026 onwards, setting a future-shaping signal for the industry. The initiative highlights the responsible use of AI along the entire textile value chain, from fibre production to the point of sale. The programme will launch at Heimtextil in Frankfurt in January 2026.