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ITMA – INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF TEXTILE MACHINERY
13 – 20 September 2007 | New Munich Trade Fair Centre
a s p e c i a l f o c u s |
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| BTRA, DKTE make debut |
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 The Munich ITMA has many firsts - internationally. And for India, it holds a few welcome surprises. For the first time, a textile research institution - Bombay Textile Research Institution - and an educational institution - DKTE, Ichalkaranji - are participating with separate stalls. This not only highlights the importance of research talents in textile industry taking part in the renaissance of an industry that shows future promises, but also the need for skilled technicians and experts for this field. It was common to see European research and educational institutions occasionally participating at the past ITMAs. But an initiative coming from an Asian country, this augurs well for the future of Indian industry.
For the first time at this year's event, a separate area for 'Research and Education' is earmarked, which will facilitate textile research institutes, universities, colleges and other educational facilities to display their products, services and innovations.
 BTRA to collect, analyse & provide info: Desai
BTRA has set its main objective: For the benefit of those from the industry who are unable to attend ITMA 2007 at Munich, BTRA can collect, analyse and provide information that they desire to get from ITMA, on a chargeable basis.
Dr A N Desai spoke to the Editor of The Indian Textile Journal in an exclusive interview. Excerpts:
ITJ: How did the first-time participation of BTRA at ITMA happen?
Desai: In the wake of opening of the economy and particularly textile trade, international exposure to our R & D/consulting scientists is a must. We have to showcase our capabilities, expertise, strengths and facilities to international businessmen for our growth.
This time around, ITMA authority allocated a separate 'Research & Education Area' to encourage research institutes and educational institutes to participate in this exhibition and BTRA jumped in to take this advantage.
ITJ: What is the agenda of BTRA at ITMA?
Desai: The aim is to convey our activity profile to the international community, our research activity and soliciting collaboration for contract research/consultancy/testing. The following points will be the main focus of display at our stall in ITMA 2007 using banners and multimedia presentation.
· Infrastructure · Pilot plants · Testing facilities · Other facilities such as Library with over 20,000 holdings [journals & books] on textile and allied field, electronic instrumentation laboratory, CAD, etc · Visitors to the stall will be given free brochures such as 'About Ourselves' and 'Test Charges Manual' · Nature of R & D work undertaken · Type of services offered · Technical services · Testing services · Training services · Display of recently released publications · Road map for future research.
Looking at the changing textile trade scenario, it is essential that the Indian industry must be made available indigenous technological support in many of emerging areas of textile technology. Some of thrust areas, BTRA is focusing/intends to focus, are as follows.
· Plasma processing of textiles · Application of Nanotechnology at melt spinning stage of synthetics · Conducting polymers and textiles · Eco-friendly technologies · Utilities conservation in textile industry · Product development and testing in technical textiles [centre of excellence in nonwoven technology]
ITJ: What are the business objectives of BTRA at ITMA?
Desai: Many of our colleagues in the industry are unable to attend ITMA 2007 at Munich, Germany for a variety of reasons; for their benefit BTRA can collect, analyse and provide information that they desire to get from ITMA. The information types to be sought may be as follows:
· For a given product to produce at India, which machine type is suitable? Who are the available machine manufacturers for such machine type?
· Locating a suitable partner, who may be an Exhibitor or a Visitor, for executing your projects.
· Latest machines suitable for your projects.
· Working of latest machines through VCD display.
· Technical survey of various machines displayed.
· Organising business meets, study meets, seminars, workshops, etc of ITMA Exhibitors at India to suit your requirements.
· Similarly for testing equipment.
BTRA has plans to prepare technical reports on various fields at ITMA such as spinning, weaving, chemical processing, technical textiles, testing, etc in the form of CD-ROM for dissemination to the industry.
ITJ: How BTRA is equipped to meet the needs of Indian textile industry?
Desai: Technical services such as productivity improvement, quality improvement, energy conservation, water conservation, yarn quality audit, fabric defect analysis, reduction in value loss/reprocessing, maintenance audit of machines, technical and financial viability studies, appraisal of project reports, manpower assessment, etc are continuously sought after by the industry. BTRA started fabric inspection activity for exporters.
BTRA test laboratories are accredited by NABL as per ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards. Also, BTRA has set-up new testing facilities in the fields of Microbiology and Technical Textiles at its premises. Thrust was given to boost income from special and polymer testing, eco-testing and also physical/chemical testing. It has a full set-up to offer complete range of textile testing services for the industry.
Nonwoven pilot plant is used for developing various nonwovens products for the industry.
Chemical processing plant is used for fabric processing trials and performance evaluation of dyes/chemicals/auxiliaries.
Melt spinning plant is used for polymer application such as PET, PP, PE, Nylon, etc.
Need based training in the areas of textile testing, basic courses in textiles, CAD, supervisory development programme, etc, are most sought after by management executives and technical personnel in the industry.
Since 2003, BTRA has released 12 special publications in the areas of spinning, weaving, chemical processing and home textiles. These publications are well received by the industry.
BTRA has conducted seminars on the following subjects, since 2001: · New Frontiers in Textiles · Cutting-edge Technologies for Textile Processing Industry · Challenges for Garment Exporters · Sizing · Conservation of Utilities in Indian Textile Industry · Application of Biotechnology for Source Reduction in Textiles.
BTRA Test Laboratories is accredited by NABL as per ISO/IEC 17025-2005 Standards. Laboratories have sophisticated testing and measuring instruments such as -
§ Thermal Analysis [Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Thermogravimetry (TGA) and Thermomechanical Analyser (TMA) - Cryogenic Possible].
§ Fourier Transform - Infra Red (FT - IR) Analysis.
§ X-ray Diffraction Studies (XRD) - X-ray diffractometer with texture goniometer.
§ UV- Visible Spectrophotometer.
§ Zweigle Hairiness Tester, Uster Tensorapid, Uster Unevenness Tester and Friction Tester.
§ Crimp Tester, Cloth Wear Resistance Tester, Tension Metre, Wrinkle Recovery Tester, etc.
BTRA library has over 20,000 holdings comprising books and journals [current as well as old] catering to only textile and allied fields providing referral, bibliographic and photocopying services.
BTRA has two big halls equipped with audio-visual aids for conducting conference proceedings in a sylvan surrounding.
ITJ: What are the recent technology breakthroughs at BTRA?
Desai: One of the recently completed project at BTRA is on 'Development of antibacterial, antiflammable conducting fabrics for electronics and other industries'. The technology is ready for commercial exploitation.
ITJ: How far BTRA has become commercially viable?
Desai: A multi-pronged approach to attain self-sufficiency was meticulously planned and executed. The process is a continuous one with cost reduction and improving efficiency in operation on one hand and a boost to revenue generation by focusing on our strengths in testing and consultancy on the other.
ITJ: What is BTRA's remedy for too much of imported technologies?
Desai: Technology development needs to be actively supported by the industry and Government. In this, there are no shortcuts and short-term solutions. A lot more encouragement to R & D in India is needed than what is being done today.
ITJ: How to make 'lab to field' concept successful? To bridge the gap what needs to be done by government/industry?
Desai: The Government needs to fund fully generic technologies and the industry needs to have more confidence in Indian R & D and the scientists from the TRAs. A morale boost and financial security to scientists in TRAs can work wonders for the industry.
Hall B2, Stand 456
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To
explore industry-institute link-ups: DKTE chief
 Keeping in view the fabric of social responsibility, Mr K B
Awade, Former Member of Parliament, Educationist, Philanthropist and a staunch supporter of the co-operative movement, founded DKTE Society's Textile & Engineering Institute at Ichalkaranji in 1982. Ichalkaranji town, popularly known as 'Manchester of
Maharashtra' is one of the prominent centres of decentralised textile sector of India.
The Textile & Engineering Institute enjoys a unique and prominent place amongst the institutions that are engaged in education, training, research and consultancy in various disciplines of Engineering in India. The Institute has four departments, 86 full time academic staff & 1500 full time students.
Prof (Dr) C D Kane, executive director, DKTE Society's Textile & Engineering Institute, spoke to the Editor of The Indian Textile Journal in an exclusive interview. Excerpts:
 ITJ: This is the first time that an Indian textile Institute is participating at ITMA, and how did this happen now, not in the past?
CDK: D K T E Society's Textile & Engineering Institute is participating in the ITMA -2007 international exhibition being held in Munich, Germany from 13th September to 20th September 2007. It is true that this is the first time an Indian Textile Educational Institute is participating in
ITMA. This is a part of DKTE s plans and strategies, which we have followed right from its inception. In the last 25 years, we have worked systematically with a focused vision to develop infrastructure in terms of buildings, equipments and machinery in various laboratories, workshops, and library etc. We are confident that the infrastructural facilities are of international standards and apart from catering to quality education; our institute provides many services to textile industry in India as well as abroad. In today's era of
globalisation, it is necessary that any organisation, may it be an industry or an educational institute, must think globally and establish itself in international arena. Participation in ITMA is a first step towards global recognition of our Institute. In past, the Institutes were working at state or national level, but today, every Institute will have to think in terms of the entire world as area of operation. DKTE is the first Institute to focus on this. However, India has many good Institutions and we are sure that many more Institutes will try to establish their identity at international level.
ITJ: What are your objectives in participating at ITMA?
CDK: To have collaboration with leading academia, and R & D organisations for enriching teaching - learning process and for carrying out quality research work.
· To attract the foreign students for pursuing degree, post graduate programmes in textiles at our institute.
· To explore the possibility of Industry-Institute interaction at international level.
 ITJ: What are the recent breakthroughs at DKTE? Give some details.
CDK: DKTE caters to 3 diploma programmes, 5 degree programmes, two post graduate programmes and doctorate level programmes in the field Textiles. Thus, it is the largest institute not only in India but probably in the world. We have consistently 100% campus recruitment for our students for many years.
Along with education, interaction with industries is the special feature of DKTE. We have been providing the textile industry not only in India but also from abroad services such as training, testing, product and process development and setting up of turnkey projects.
Followings are some specific breakthroughs:
· MOU Signed with ITEMA India Ltd, SMIT Textiles Italy, DOGITECH Taiwan for co-operation in research, technology innovation and training.
· State-of-the-art machinery donated by Zinser, Xorella, Staubli, THEN and
FONGS.
· Textiles and other engineering programmes are accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA).
· Recipient of World Bank loan under Technical Educational Quality Improvement Programme
(TEQIP) for the infrastructure development.
· Awarded R & D centre under Ichalkaranji Textile Cluster Development (ITDC).
· DKTE has received ISO 9000:2001 Certification.
· Started a Garment Training Centre in collaboration with Ichalkaranji Municipality to train around 1600 ladies in areas of garment manufacture and fashion every year.
· Completed four turnkey projects of setting up of complete plants in spinning, two in knitting, four in weaving, two in chemical processing, two in garments and one in yarn dyeing. At present working on many project in these areas.
 ITJ: The Indian textile industry is expected to be in need of a big pool of highly skilled technicians. Are our Institutions well prepared?
CDK: It is expected that Indian textile will expand manifolds in a decade to come. This developing industry will need a big pool of highly skilled technicians. The requirement from these technicians in terms of technical competency will go on increasing day by day as technological developments take place.
Frankly speaking, the technical education imparted in most of educational institution is for behind the expectation. Only a few institutes may come up somewhere near the industries requirements.
There is a need to constantly update the infrastructure and faculty for this purpose. The Government has to help these institutions constantly in doing so.
ITJ: Is the success of 'lab to field' concept elusive in India? If so what should the Government & industry do in the coming years to bridge the gap?
CDK; Yes, the concept of 'lab to field' has only limited success in India. Because in India the educational institutes are not still considered by the Government and industry as R & D
centres. This culture, therefore is non existent in many institutions. Many of them are also not equipped with proper facilities and faculty.
In future the industry will need to constantly innovate near products and processes to survive in intense competition. The educational institutes with budding technicians can prove to be very effective and economic R&D
centres. The Government and the industry have to recognise this fact and strengthen these institutions for carrying out effective research, which can be useful to industries.
ITJ: How do you view the growth of Indian textile industry from an academician point of view? Will we be the No.1 producer & exporter in the coming years or succumb to China?
CDK: India has certain specific advantages for its textile industry. Low labour cost, highly skilled technicians, enterprising entrepreneurs, availability & wide range of natural and man-made
fibres, which form the basic raw material of the industry, are some of the main features of Indian textile industry.
Due to this the industry is expanding very fast. China is number one today in international textile market. They are in mass production. The structure of industry in China and India are totally different. China has massive textile manufacturing units while in India even today major portion of the textile industry is in small scale and in decentralised state. Therefore in mass production of regular quality materials, it will be very difficult to compete with China.
However, our speciality is high quality, low production cycle, materials and high tech products. In these areas India will be definitely be number one in the world.
Hall B2, Stand 460 |
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