IMB 2009 : discover new horizons

02 Oct '08

4 min read

IMB 2009 will again be held on Koelnmesse's new fair grounds during April 21 to 24.

Just as many of the key garment producers are looking to make more eco-friendly products in more environmentally friendly methods and premises. According to that development the key clothing industry technology suppliers are working towards producing machines which are more environmentally and operator friendly in terms of both ease of use and ergonomics whilst improving productivity, versatility and efficiency.

This philosophy is being extended, not only in the design and development of the machinery itself but also through into the manufacturing plants making the machines. All key companies are working towards reducing environmental impact, conserving resources and energy, and fostering recycling.

Machinery is being developed to conserve energy, reduce noise levels, heat and vibration and to reduce the amount of lubrication oil whilst being more flexible and produce improved quality. With industrial sewing machines, the noise, for example, generated by just a few units is not so significant, but when thousands of machines are used together, a small reduction of the noise level of each machine will have a big effect on the health and long term hearing of the sewing operators.

By construction against power consumption and time loss
Improvements in electronic controls enable increases in productivity and flexibility whilst reducing power consumption. Adjustments, whether in cutting with automatic pocket and buttonhole machines for example, or in sewing parameters speed up by the use of electronics so that machine set up times when changing design and styling during production are being reduced.

Direct drive motors are becoming common place. Typical advantages include increased efficiency as power is not wasted in friction from a chain drive, or gearboxes. With fewer parts to vibrate, machines fitted with direct drive motors tend to be quieter and with less moving parts there are fewer parts prone to failure.

High torque can be produced at a low rpm; high torque and low inertia enable faster positioning times on permanent magnets synchronous servo drives. Feedback sensors sited directly on rotary parts enable precise angular position sensing. Redesigns of these machines can provide shorter operation cycles. Claims for sewing machines of this sort include reduced machine cycle times of over 40 % in some cases, average power consumption reduced by 60 % and standby power consumption by 90 %.

Competition advantages: Flexibility and efficiency
For IMB 2009 too, the fight for supremacy in button and buttonhole machines continues with the competition looking to increase flexibility, speed of operation, ease of use, enabling rapid and clear operator control to change, in the case of a button attaching machine, for example, between button styles from two, three and four hole to shank without the need for a mechanic.

With buttonholing, the aim includes the requirement for a high number of different buttonhole types which can be programmed sequentially. Stitch length and density, buttonhole length, buttonhole width and opening cut all need to be altered easily, quickly and simply on the control panel with the machine able to change from straight to eyelet, gimp or no gimp, cut before or cut after,

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