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New Tools for

Monitoring Textile

Processes

In addition to conventional quality monitoring and occur because of defects in the yarn used, in the
assessment tools, the use of modern technology in weaving machine operation or from operator error.
other fields has increasingly found its application in Many of these defects are spot type and small in
global textile industry. Two of the interesting examples nature, but there are also defects that may run the
in weaving and textile wet processing industry are whole length of a piece and if unnoticed will result in
summarised below. high waste levels. Once the cloth has been woven
there may be several additional processes that add
Machine Vision Systems for Textile Industry value (dyeing, printing, coating) and if long running
Home and Apparel Textile industry has traditionally defects are not detected prior to these processes
adopted innovation and the application of new then additional cost is added to already sub-stand-
technologies to advance the overall performance of ard cloth, resulting in further waste of resources.
processes and materials used and to control costs Traditionally loom operators have a set of looms they
and quality. As manufacturing processes increase in are responsible for and should patrol them to check
speed and complexity, whilst at the same time safety for quality issues. In reality there is often insufficient
and quality standards become more rigorous, the time for them to do this reliably and with the ever-in-
need for an automated quality control solution is ever creasing production speeds of looms defects can
more pressing. run a significant length before detection, if they are
ever detected.
Weaving: On loom Inspection
Generally, the biggest cost component in creating Shelton Vision are specialists in the design,
woven cloth is the raw material cost. The value of the manufacture and application of digital camera
woven cloth can be downgraded by defects that may systems for surface and product inspection. Shelton

August/September 2017 August/September 2017

Vision have applied the power of high speed cloth product is transported to the consumer). The tool can
inspection to slow moving webs at a commercially be accessed at
realistic price level to detect defects in cloth at an https://watercalculator.dnvgl.com/Home/Form. The
early stage and limit the severity to manageable Global Network for Resource Efficient and Cleaner
levels. This means that machine vision systems can Production (RECPnet), supporting organizations in over
be fitted to every loom to eliminate long running and 60 developing countries, will facilitate the use of the tool,
repetitive defects. In addition, defect maps are which primarily targets small and medium-sized
created that can be used to efficiently find repairable companies. It will guide companies on the use of the
defects in high value cloth. The system claims to: tool and interpretation of results. In Pakistan, the
• Reduce in waste material being scrapped. RECPnet network member is National Cleaner
• Complete orders on time. Production Centre (NCPC) Foundation, Rawalpindi
• Increase throughput of repaired cloth. (http://www.ncpc.com.pk/). The tool consists of:
• Transmit reliable quality data to the next process, or • Introduction step: provide background information
customer. about your business: company size production, annual
production, raw material (fibre type), product, relevant
Textile Wet Processing: Water Calculation Tool manufacturing processes, water source and treatment.
Water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the • Water data: provide process specific data of water
global population, a number which is projected to consumption and quality, based on batch or
rise. While about 2.5 per cent of the world’s water is continuous processing, depending on the availability
of data (estimation, process control, measured data)
• Chemicals and discharge: provide information on
used chemicals and amount and quality of
discharged waste water
• The resulting report gives you an overview of your
water consumption, and compare it with regional
available indicators of best practice.

UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United
Nations that promotes industrial development for
poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and

freshwater, only 0.5 per cent of that amount is made
available to satisfy society’s needs. Water is also an
important resource in manufacturing processes,
including in the textile sector. Reducing water
consumption by establishing sustainable production
processes can therefore be an advantage for environmental sustainability. UNIDO meets the
companies as well as the communities they operate industrial development needs of its Member States
in. This is widely reflected in the United Nations’ through a variety of highly specialized and
Sustainable Development Goals, which aim, among differentiated services that promote social inclusion,
other things, to ensure sustainable production by economic competitiveness and environmental
companies and water access for all by 2030. sustainability, as well as cross-cutting activities in the
fields of industrial statistics, research and policy, and
UNIDO and DNV GL - Business Assurance have the promotion of knowledge networks and
joined forces to develop and implement projects in institutional partnerships.
the field of water footprint measurement and
promotion of water management best practices. DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety
Foreseen projects include developing a water and sustainability of their business. It provides
footprint self-assessment tool to assist small and classification, technical assurance, software and
medium size enterprises (SMEs) in developing independent expert advisory services to the maritime,
countries to evaluate their water footprint in restricted oil & gas and energy industries. It also provides
stages of a product life cycle, specifically the certification services to customers across a wide
so-called ‘cradle-to-gate’ assessment from range of industries. Operating in more than 100
agricultural production through processing and countries, with experts dedicated to help customers
production up to the factory gate (i.e. before the and make the world safer, smarter and greener.