By : Fibre2fashion.com

• New ISO standard introduced for safer dry-cleaning machines: ISO published a new International Standard, providing safety requirements for dry-cleaning machines. Laundry and dry laundry cleaning frequently use perchloroethylene or combustible solvent which are potentially dangerous to health. ISO 8230:2008, Safety requirements for dry-cleaning machines, will help manufacturers and designers to eliminate or reduce risk associated with these substances. The standard has 3 parts. Part 1 of ISO 8230, Common safety requirements, deals with all significant hazards arising from the use of dry-cleaning machine, both intended use and foreseeable abnormal situations, and includes commissioning, use and maintenance. Part 2, Machines using perchloroethylene, deals with the hazards specific to the use of perchloroethylene (PERC), the most commonly used dry-cleaning solvent, including inhalation of vapours, to perc contact with the skin or eyes of the machine operator and those of other personnel and members of the public, as well as to water and ground contamination. Part 3, Machines using combustible solvents, deals with all significant hazards related to dry-cleaning machines and which require specific action by the designer or manufacturer to eliminate or reduce the risk.

• Govt of India allocated Rs.14 Bn to steer clear backlog in TUF Scheme: The Government of India has been concerned about the impact of the global financial crisis on the Indian economy and a number of steps have been taken to deal with this problem. Considering already dwindling demand in textile industry, Government in its new relief package announced an additional allocation of Rs.1400 crore to clear the entire backlog in TUF Scheme.

• Oerlikon Schlafhorst consolidated German production plants: The Business Unit Oerlikon Schlafhorst has reorganised its three locations, Mnchengladbach, bach-Palenberg and Ebersbach, within the scope of the current restructuring program "Simplify Oerlikon Textile". The entire production of the three locations will be concentrated in bach-Palenberg. Mnchengladbach will focus on marketing functions; Ebersbach will retain its central research and development tasks.

• LMW announced to set up green field machine manufacturing facility, China: Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd this year announced that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on May 19, 2008, inter alia, has approved the proposal for the establishment of a green field project for the manufacture of Textile Spinning Machinery in China through a wholly owned subsidiary Company.

• Changes at SSM HACOBA Textile Machinery: SSM implemented a number of changes at SSM Textile Machinery and its subsidiary SSM HACOBA in Wuppertal. This encompassed relocation and integration of business activities of Hacoba in Wuppertal, Germany, into the existing operational organization at SSM Textile Machinery's headquarters in Horgen, Switzerland in order to bring smooth integration into the current work processes at SSM Schrer Schweiter Mettler AG in Horgen.

• Fleissner expanded its Management Team: Dr. Dieter Zenker (42) was appointed General Manager of Fleissner GmbH in Egelsbach near Frankfurt/Main on 1^st July 2008.

• Fritz Mayer appointed as new chairman of VDMA: Fritz P. Mayer, Managing Partner of Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH, has been elected Chairman of the Textile Machinery Association within VDMA on June 6 in Berlin. Mayer succeeds to the office Johann Philipp Dilo, who has led the Association since 2005.

• LMW bagged Prestigious Palladium Balanced Scorecard Award: Lakshmi Machine Works Limited one the world's leading textile equipment manufacturer with sales of $504 million and 3,500 employees, has been awarded the prestigious Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame for Executing Strategy by Palladium Group Inc, the global market leader in helping organizations execute strategies.

• Dr. Geoffrey Scott, Uster Technologies, received Entrepreneur of the Year award: Ernst & Young, on October 24^th- 2008, announced the winners of its eleventh Entrepreneur of the Year award. In the Industry category, the winner was Dr Geoffrey Scott, CEO of Uster Technologies AG. The jury was impressed by Dr Geoffrey Scott's managerial skills; his entrepreneurial influence on the company's working culture, and the high motivation of the staff and their ability to identify with the company.