By Digital Output Staff
Texprocess Americas took place May 22 to 24, 2018 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. It is co-produced by Messe Frankfurt North America and SPESA. Throughout the three day event, exhibitors displayed equipment and technology for the development, sourcing, and production of sewn products. In addition to vendor booths, the event included educational sessions located both on and off show floor.
Co-located with Techtextil North America, the show floor consisted of over 500 exhibitors, hailing from 32 countries Together, the joint trade show attracted more than 8,000 visitors, which is roughly a four percent increase over the last combined event in 2016.
“It was clear that everyone, both visitors and exhibitors, could feel the energy and excitement on the show floor,” states Dennis Smith, president/CEO, Messe Frankfurt Inc. “We are proud to serve as the platform for furthering the growth and development of the North American technical textile and sewn products industries.”
Texprocess Americas, celebrating its fourth iteration, represents the entire value chain in the process of sewn products. With digitally printed textiles a growing method in the creation of apparel, fashion, and décor, the solutions and products available at the show are of interest for print service providers (PSPs) considering entering into this segment.
Above: Examples of garments printed off a Kornit Allegro in the Gerber Technology booth.
Automation is a Hot
Two topics in particular stood out as important components—computer software/information technology and cutting systems. Both further automation in a traditional textile workplace. Several companies offering these services have customers involved or plan to be involved in the digital printing of textiles.
Both Gerber Technology and Lectra identify computer software/information technology and cutting systems as a pivotal part of the market. At Texprocess Americas they exhibited these products in addition to a number of other solutions in their portfolios.
In Gerber Technology’s booth it showcased the recently announced AccuMark Platform V11. It is an end-to-end solution that includes the automation of 2D/3D pattern design to product lifecycle management (PLM) and cutting software.
On the floor, the company showcased a microfactory, displaying the process of digitally printing a textile on a Kornit Allegro printer and then bringing that same fabric over to a Gerber Z1 cutter for finishing. The cutter is powered by Gerber ContourVision, which scans the fabric in one pass based on a black line placed around the graphic. This is saved in the CAD program for future jobs.
The cut out fabric was brought over to a partner booth by Gerbie the robot and sewn into a pillow. This process illustrated the important influence of automation in the workplace.
Lectra, on the heels of its 2017 company-wide rebrand, showcased Cutting Room 4.0 for the made-to-order furniture industry. On the fashion end, its surface design software is a 2D/3D pattern making solution that focuses on fit. It is part of its PLM end-to-end workflow solution, which moves a user from design to the cutting room. Lectra is focused on Industry 4.0 and the vision of a fully connected textile production system from the fabric, machines, and software to human interaction.
While not involved on the cutting side of things, EFI Optitex exhibited its ODev 2D design and 3D visualization solution. With a full demonstration of the product, it was easy to see how it can help automate a digital print workflow, aiding in faster decision making in the product development lifecycle.
Two Years
Texprocess Americas takes place again in 2020, returning to the Georgia World Congress Center May 12 to 14. We look forward to visiting the show and witnessing digital printing, finishing, and software being further integrated into this industry segment.
Jul2018, Digital Output
