Interview with Joachim Maier

Joachim Maier
Marketing Manager
Uster Technologies

Uster Q-Bar 2, Uster Fabriq Expert for automatic fabric inspection launched at ITMA

Switzerland-based Uster Technologies AG is the leading high technology instrument manufacturer of products for quality measurement and certification for the textile industry. Marketing manager Joachim Maier shares details about the latest products launched at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona.

Please tell us in brief about your company.

Uster has been in existence since more than 70 years and is a global market leader in textile quality control, from fibre to fabric. Uster systems and services help ensure optimum quality and competitive products. Our expertise in testing and monitoring systems are dedicated to the production of yarns and fabrics meeting requested quality standards and ensuring satisfied customers. Our state-of-the-art technologies are capable of predicting how the produced yarn performs at weaving what is illustrated with grades. Also benchmarks for raw material and fibre are provided by Uster. The so-called Uster Statistics became the only worldwide accepted standard for the textile industry and is nowadays available in an app format.

What new products were launched at ITMA 2019?

We launched Uster Q-Bar 2 and Uster Fabriq Expert for automatic fabric inspection. Both these systems aim to support textile mills in guaranteeing delivery of defined roll quality, using sophisticated technology available for defect detection at the earliest-possible stage. This includes locating any defects quickly, supporting identification of the root causes and initiating corrective actions. The technology with intelligent visual detection and fault-recognition algorithms is now enhanced by Uster's overall experience in quality management systems for the wider textile industry. The Uster Q-Bar 2 offers the advantage of an instant report when identifying a defect. Action can be taken to avoid a situation where fabrics showing a long-standing defect will be passed to subsequent processes.

The Uster Fabriq Expert is the key to early detection of quality issues, based on comprehensive quality data gathered during on-loom inspection of fabrics. It provides producers with an overview of their entire installation, via Uster Q-Bar 2 systems fitted over the machine.

Automatic fabric inspection is Uster's newest field of competence. How about the established laboratory and monitoring systems? What is new?

Actually, there are several such news I can discuss. One example is the well-established Uster Quantum 3 offering two new value modules: ring spinning optimisation and total contamination control.

Uster Quantum 3 cooperates with Uster Sentinel to enable the detection of deviations on ring spinning machines, in unique correlation with the winding performance of yarns. Quality issues trigger alerts at ring spinning and winding. For higher performance, spindle speeds can be optimised, while ensuring the best possible cop build-up. Quality and productivity are covered in a single system.

Uster Quantum 3 and Uster Jossi Vision Shield eliminate foreign matter at both ends of the yarn production process, balancing ejections in the blowroom and cuts in winding in the most advanced way. Total Contamination Control stands for managing remaining contaminants in yarns at lowest possible cost and with minimum waste. Uster is the only single-source provider of this integrated solution.

Which will be the important developments for Uster in the future?

Managing a textile mill with quality in mind is the way to ensure sustainable success. Fast and effective data analysis related to specific mill processes can make a lot of difference to the current prosperity and future sustainability of our customers' businesses.

In which way do you use the data?

The quality management platform for advanced process optimisation across yarn manufacturing processes, Uster Quality Expert, brings together all relevant quality data in a single system for control, securing fibre, yarn and fabric quality. Insightful analytics from connected instruments, merged with textile application know-how, can lead to systematic and data-driven management success in an increasingly complex environment.

What is your opinion of ITMA?

ITMA is the most established and esteemed exhibition in the textile machinery industry and that is underlined by over 1,700 exhibitors at past ITMA. For Uster, ITMA is the most important exhibition and the company might have participated every time since 1951. (HO)

Published on: 12/07/2019

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.