#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

2020-05-07

Coats Digital launches PPE fast start

Coats Digital, the software business of Coats, the world’s leading industrial thread company, has launched PPE Fast Start, an initiative to support manufacturers switching part of their production facilities and supply chains to help address the global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In the face of unprecedented demand volatility, cost pressures and the need for increased speed to market, Coats Digital has launched Fast Start for PPE versions of its best in class software solutions for apparel manufacturers.

The market leading FastReactPlan production planning and control solution now has a Fast Start for PPE version. It provides manufacturers with a highly visual, intuitive solution which supports a fast, detailed and accurate order confirmation process and a production plan which is optimised for delivery, efficiency and speed.

There is a Fast Start for PPE version of GSDCost, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) accredited fact-based solution to establish and optimise accurate time and cost benchmarks for garment costing. It enables staff with little or no manufacturing expertise to develop a ‘time-cost analysis’ for selected PPE products ensuring that the Standard Minute Values (SMVs) used for costing, capacity calculations, performance targets and planning are accurate, reliable and consistent.

There is also a Fast Start for PPE version of IntelloCut, the real-time, automated fabric planning solution for optimised fabric utilisation which gives manufacturers complete control over fabric usage in the cutting room. It optimises the processes of cut plan, lay plan and allocation, end bit usage and management, tracking and reporting.

All three of the PPE Fast Start solutions have been configured to support rapid, remote implementation and can be fully operational and delivering significant, measurable business benefits in a matter of weeks.

Keith Fenner, Managing Director, Coats Digital, said: ‘Our suite of PPE Fast Start solutions will enable manufacturers to pivot to PPE production and lay the foundations for a faster, more efficient and competitive business in the post-pandemic world. We recognise that technology will be a major driver in industry recovery so we have reduced the implementation costs as part of our commitment to ensure that our customers have the very best software solutions to manage their business and mitigate the impact of COVID-19.’

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Driving digitalization, efficiency, and Smart Manufacturing across textiles and carpets

At this year’s ITM, BMSvision proudly showcases its next leap forward in digital manufacturing excellence. As a long-standing global pioneer in Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for the textile and plastics industries, BMSvision continues to accelerate digital transformation by delivering powerful, data-driven solutions that boost productivity, enhance quality and support sustainable growth. Visit BMSvision at the Vandewiele booth in Hall 7, Booth 710, to experience the future of textiles manufacturing.

Textilfabrik 7.0 launched: Mönchengladbach becomes a real-world lab for sustainable textile production

With the official kick-off event of the Textilfabrik 7.0 (T7), a major transformation project for the German textile and apparel industry has been launched in the Monforts Quarter in Mönchengladbach. At the “Textile Roundtable,” an event format organized by the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, representatives from industry, research, politics, and the regional economy came together to jointly lay the foundation for CO₂-neutral, circular, and economically viable textile production in Germany.

OnceMore® from Södra brings end-to-end traceability for circular Man-made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCF) using TextileGenesis

OnceMore® from Södra, the world’s first large-scale process for recycling blended fabrics into high‐quality dissolving pulp, will begin using TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to strengthen traceability from raw material to retail across the value chain. OnceMore® produces dissolving pulp made from blended textile waste and wood sourced from responsibly managed Swedish forests. By integrating TextileGenesis, OnceMore® supports the growing need for verified data and secure, transparent tracking throughout increasingly complex supply chain.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.