Fabricato installs sixth Monforts sanforising line

Fabricato SA is today recognised as Colombia’s largest textile company producing more than 8 million m/month of finished fabric; and can trace its origins back to 1920.

Three years ago, with the appointment of a new President, it was to initiate a new philosophy to meet market trends and demands; aimed at increasing production whilst bringing down production costs to make them more competitive.

According to Fabricato’s Head of New Projects, Carlos Alberto Rueda, the company recognises that it may be unable to compete with its Asian competitors on price. “However,” he added, “we can certainly beat them on quality, directly attributed to our many years’ experience, particularly with denim.”

The aim of the new philosophy is exemplified by a major two year project valued at $30 million and intended to modernise production lines to increase production, further improve quality and reduce production costs.

The project, included the installation of 105 additional air jet looms, a sizing unit, an 8-colour rotary printing unit, a bleaching range, a pad-steam line, laboratory equipment plus a Monforts 10-chamber Montex stenter, a Thermosol range and a sanforising line.

The imminent commissioning of the Monforts sanforising line marks the completion of the major project and new philosophy.

“A principal change in the philosophy is that before 2009 production regardless of cost had been a key objective.” Said Carlos adding,“Today it has become more orientated towards the customer, with a reduced production cost.”

“50 years friendship”

With its first Monforts installed more than 50 years ago, Fabricato today has a total of eight Montex Stenters, six Sanforisers and a Thermex. “There was no hesitation therefore in ordering the new Monforts equipment from another ‘friend’, the local representative, Servimtexa.

Fabricato has nine business lines providing a wide range of textiles including yarns; flat-woven fabrics such as denim, twilled, poplin and wool; knitted fabrics and non-wovens. Home textile products include bedsheet sets, mattress and pillar covers, towels, table clothes and kitchen wear.

Knitted fabrics for fashion wear include 100% cotton, polyester/cotton, cotton/viscose, nylon/cotton, 100% viscose polyester//viscos and cotton/linen.

Monforts machines feature in all the woven fabric lines.

Denim production

Recent months has seen more emphasis by Fabricato on denim production making it a key product; together with military and police uniforms. Up to 60% of production today is devoted to denim working with 250 – 420 gm/m² denim weights – although the norm is 300 gm/m².