Haelixa, the DNA traceability solution, and Rieter, the world’s leading supplier of systems for short-staple fiber spinning, have joined forces to offer an innovative concept of marking fibers during yarn production. The solution addresses the increasing demand for reliable traceability data. It provides forensic evidence of the origin of textile materials, which is becoming increasingly important given the growing demand for organic or recycled raw materials.
Haelixa offers a traceability solution based on a revolutionary and patented DNA technology for full textile supply chain transparency from source to retail. The company develops a unique marker that is applied directly to the fiber, which allows to identify either a brand, a supplier, a production lot, or a producer. The marker is harmless for humans and the environment, Oekotex 100 compliant, and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified, yet strong enough to withstand all industrial processing. The test to verify the origin or authenticity of the material can be completed with the garment or any intermediate product.
Rieter is the world’s leading supplier of systems for short-staple fiber spinning. Based in Winterthur (Switzerland), the company develops and manufactures machinery, systems, and components to convert natural and man-made fibers and their blends into yarns. Rieter is the only supplier worldwide to cover spinning preparation processes and all four end spinning processes currently established on the market. Furthermore, Rieter is a leader in the field of precision winding machines. With 17 manufacturing locations in ten countries, the company employs a global workforce of some 4 900, about 18% of whom are based in Switzerland. Rieter is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol RIEN.
Michela Puddu, CEO and Co-founder of Haelixa, said, “The partnership will give Rieter’s customers access to an integrated and ready-to-use traceability solution. Traceability creates added value as it enables trust and credibility by providing reliable product information. The Haelixa technology perfectly complements Rieter’s product portfolio, and we are excited about the synergies and the added value we create.”
Combining Rieter’s expertise in processing short-staple fibers with Haelixa’s solution will create more transparent and resilient supply chains with a solution that seamlessly integrates into existing equipment. Haelixa and Rieter have already completed joint in-house testing and validation, resulting in the launch of an automated application of the marker in Rieter spinning systems in liquid form.
Rico Randegger, Head of Rieter’s Business Group After-Sales, said, “At Rieter, we see an increasing demand of our customers to provide more transparency along the supply chain. With this solution, Rieter is offering customers an automated traceability function as part of their systems which will help them add value to their products for greater success. Rieter and Haelixa will advance the application concept in line with spinners’ needs.”
