#Spinning

2020-07-30

Lucrative automation for sewing thread producers

For the most part, sewing thread producers still rely on machines on which the tubes must be changed manually. This means that, in the sewing thread sector in particular, both productivity and profit can be increased by using semi-automated sewing thread finish winders from SSM. The story of an Asian sewing thread producer that switched from manual tube changing to the semi-automated SSM TK2-20-TT clearly shows how fast this innovation pays for itself and how the company is benefitting in the long term.

Until now, searching for fully automatic finish winders for sewing thread on the market has proved futile. The variety of yarns to be processed is too large and there are too many different tube dimensions and applications: This makes it impossible to produce a standardized design for a fully automatic machine, meaning that an extremely costly custom machine would be the customer’s only option. But this does not mean that machines on which the tubes are changed manually are the best solution in the sewing thread sector.

Sewing thread producers still use many older machines that require a lot of manual intervention because these machines are primarily what a large proportion of winding machine manufacturers offer. A few manufacturers do produce semi-automated machines as well, but only SSM finish winders offer reliable, efficiency-boosting functions such as length measurement, tuck-in, automatic changing of full packages, and package winding. This is crucial because with sewing thread, the decisive factors are above all its appearance, the winding, and the unwinding characteristics of the sewing thread package in the subsequent process. The machines in the SSM TK2-20 series are real profit makers in this regard. They are proven to be a reliable piece of equipment for meeting the high requirements of SSM customers in the sewing thread industry.

For these reasons, an Asian sewing thread producer decided to replace its “manual machines” with a 284-spindle SSM TK2-20-TT. This enabled the company to increase its production capacity by 100 tons per month to reach its target of 300 tons per month. And that’s not all: At the same time, it was possible to reduce the number of production spindles required by 50 spindles and reduce the number of personnel needed to operate the entire system by around 60%. The labor costs alone could be decreased by around CHF 30 000 per year thanks to the investment – which is especially impressive since the company is in a newly industrialized country.

As the machines had already paid for themselves after just 14 months, the customer is earning an extra CHF 150 000 per year thanks to the very precise length measurement and the lower power consumption of the entire TK2-20-TT system.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.