OR-Filatoir-Case

FilatoiRiunitiTheItaliantextileindustryThenorthernregionsofItalyaretheheartlandsoftheItaliantextileindustry,providingtextileproductsformanygreatItalian(andnon-Italian)fashionhouses.Theindustry'shistoryreachesbacktoRomantimeswhenBiella(atowninthenorthwesternAlps)wasacenterforwoolproduction.Mostoftoday'scompanieswerefoundedattheturnofthecenturyandhavegrownandthriveddespiteaseriestwentiethcenturycatastrophes,includingthegreatDepression(whichcrushedthesilkindustry),WorldWarII,andtheflashfloodsof1968(whichdestroyedmanyofBiella'smills).Thefamiliesthatrunthewool-producingcompanies,manyofwhoseancestorshadworkedthelandforcenturies,havealwayscomebackwithgreatcompetitivespirit.SalesintheentireItaliantextileandapparelindustrywereabout$50billionin1994withexportsof$23billion,accordingtoItaly'sNationalStatisticsInstitute.Theentiretextilesectoremploysover700,000people.Italy'slargestexportmarketsinthetextilessectorareGermany,France,GreatBritain,theU.S.,andJapan.In1994,over1,200companiesexportedtextileproductstotheU.S.totalingabout$625million(over6%ofItaly'soveralltextileexports).ThemajorItaliantextilecompaniesarefightinghardtostayattheforefrontoftheworldtextilemarket,andthebattlesarenumerous.CompetitionfromeastAsia,atug-of-warwithChinaoversilkandcashmereexports,lackofsufficientqualifiedemployees,andafast-movingfashionindustry(whichrequiresthemillstocreateanddeliverrapidly)areamongthenewchallengesfacingtheindustry.Inthefaceofthesechallenges,manyItaliantextilefirmsarecommittedtomakingmassiveinvestmentsinstate-of-the-artmachineryandinresearchintonewfinishings.ItalianmanufacturersareconfidentthatItaliantextileproducerswillalwayshaveanedgeonthecompetitionbecauseofthehighconcentrationofdyeing,finishing,andprintingspecialistsinItaly.“Italy’stextilesectorisuniquebecausethereisthismicrocosmofsmallcompanieswhoareverycreativeandalwaysup-to-dateonthelatesttrends.Theyprovideaconstantstimulusandanendlesssourceofideasformanufacturers.Intheend,thismeanscontinuedcreativityandflexibilityoftheindustry”,saysindustryspokespersonEnricoCerruti.“ThetrumpcardfortheItaliantextileindustryisitsculturaltraditionandhumanresources…Youcancopytechnology,youcancopydesign,butyoucan'tduplicatethepeoplehere.Ittakes100yearstobuildthatandit'sourgreatestadvantage.”HowcottonyarnisproducedPriortotheIndustrialRevolutiontextileswerespunbyhandusingaspinningwheel(Figure1).Todaymostcommercialyarnsareproducedintextilemills,andalthoughthetoolsandtechniquesusedaredifferentfromhandspinning,mostoftheprocessesarestillthesame.Mostyarnsarespunfromstaplefibersmadeusingoneofthreesystems:theCottonProcess,theWoolenProcess,ortheWorstedProcess.Theseprocessesvaryonlyslightlyfromeachotherbuttheyallincludethethreebasicprocessesofpreparation,spinningandfinishing.TheCottonProcessisusedtospincottonfibersbetween3/4and2inlength.Syntheticfiberscanalsobeblendedwiththecottontoformblendedyarns.LikewisetheWorstedandWoolenProcessesareusedtospinwoolfibersandwoolblends.Thecottonprocessmethodemploysthefollowingsteps:Figure1-OldspinningwheelFilatoiRiunitiRe-spoolingtexturizingSpinningWindingDrawingRovingCardingOpening/LooseningPreparationFinishingSpinningFigure2-Themainstepsofthecottonyarnproduction1.Preparation:A.Opening&Loosening.Uponarrivalatthemillthecottonbailsareopenedandloosened.Thishelpsseparateandcleanthecottonbeforeitisfedintocardingmachines.Impuritiessuchasrocks,coins,andothersolidobjects(therearestoriesaboutbulletsfoundintherawcotton!)areremoved.B.Carding.Cardingmachinesfurtherloosenandseparatethecottonfibersbypassingthefibersbetweentworotatingmetaldrumscoveredwithwireneedles.Thisalignsthecottoninathinwebofparallelfibers,whichisformedintoarope-likestrandcalledasliver.Thesliveriscollectedinaslivercaninpreparationforroving.Forhighqualityyarnsthesliveriscombedaftercardingtomakethefibersmoreparallelandtoremovesmallerfibers.C.DrawingandRoving.Sliversarethendrawnout,blendingthefibersandmakingthemmoreparallel.Notwistisaddedtothesliverduringdrawing,butseveralsliverscanbeblendedtogether.Sliverscangothroughmultipledrawingsforfurtherparallelizationandblending.Drawnoutsliversarethenfedtotherovingframewheretheyaredrawnfurtherwhileaslighttwistisadded.Therovingstrandsarecollectedincansandfedtothespinningmachine.2.SpinningandWinding.Thespinningmachinedrawsouttherovingstrand,addstwistandwindstheyarnontobobbins.Theslivers,whicharerelativelyshortsegmentsofcotton,aretwistedagainsteachotherintoalong,continuous,strongyarn.Multiplebobbinsofyarnarethenwoundontolargerspoolscalledcheeses.Nowtheyarnisreadyfortexturinganddyingandfinallyweavingintofabric.3.Re-spooling/texturizing.Somefinerqualitiesofthreadrequireanadditionalstepofspoolingorpassageinagas-saturatedroom.Thisfurtherstepisnecessarytochemicallyeradicateremainingimpuritiesortoimpartaestheticand/orfunctionalpropertiestotheyarn.FilatoiRiunitiFilatoiRiunitiisafamily-ownedspinningmilllocatedinPiemonte,aregioninnorthwestItaly.FilatoiRiunitiproducescottonyarn,whichisonetherawmaterials(togetherwithwool)thatisusedtoproducethefabricsthatarethencutandsewnbyItalianstyl