natific randomly selects a CAP mill to feature with a company profile. We also take this opportunity to welcome new and returning software and service clients, including a special notice to all CAP members.
Darlington Fabrics completed their first on-site assessment earlier this year to become a member mill in the natific Color Accreditation Program (CAP). By receiving natific CAP Accreditation, Darlington joined a group of just over 100 global dye houses that have demonstrated the required internal expertise and process control to earn straight to production privileges from retail brands including Under Armour, Target, and Land’s End. This privilege allows Darlington to by-pass the expensive and time consuming lab dip submission process. Yes that’s correct as you read, no more lab dips are needed.
This is what Darlington achieves through the CAP process:
After the on-site assessment, Andreas Roth Chief Technical Officer of natific commented “Darlington Fabrics clearly demonstrated that they are one of the best in the world in evaluating the dyeability of different fiber types, dyestuff performance, and production processes to meet the needs of their brand clients”.
We asked the management of Darlington Fabrics some questions to find out more about the mill and their progress.
What are your mill’s niche areas?
Darlington: Warp Knit Fabric with a particular emphasis on compression fabrics for athletic and medical end uses.
How did you first hear about the CAP program and what were your initial thoughts?
Darlington: Under Armour approached us at Darlington Fabrics. Initially, I was not sure if the CAP program was simply another layer of documentation that was primarily developed as a tool for the brands. Not really having a good working knowledge of the program, I was skeptical if it would serve as an effective tool for Darlington Fabrics.
What are your thoughts today about the program?
Darlington: We think that the CAP is a valuable resource.
What do you see as the biggest value?
Darlington: Straight to production privileges is by far the biggest advantage. We also have used the CAP to eliminate internal documentation and submit protocols. Instant real-time feedback with our CAP level visible in ColorWarehouse let us know our performance in the eyes of our brand customer.
What would be your advice to non-CAP mills who are considering joining the program?
Darlington: This is definitely a program that all mills should give very serious consideration in pursuing.
Let’s move on to some more technical questions. Measurable feedback is always appreciated if possible for you to provide any.
Darlington: Ok!
Master Digital Standards (MDS, qtx files) are used within the CAP program, what is your experience working digitally?
Darlington: From a brand perspective, managing color without digital standards is not an easy task. Having separate and distinct standards for each component of a final product presents significant potential for having the different components color difference outside of commercial acceptability. Using a single QTX target for color ensures that none of the components will stray outside of commercial acceptability.
Have you noticed any time saved in the development of new colors, your laboratory color development and/or lab-to-bulk process?
Darlington: We have reduced the time to develop colors for the brand to an average of less than five days (internally approved lab dips), and we have noted that CAP brands vs non-CAP brands typically will have 30% or more reduced laboratory development time for color. In our lab-to-bulk process, time is significantly reduced with straight to production privileges.
As a part of the CAP program, you use the natific system ColorWarehouse to track ongoing production results. Can you briefly comment on how you use the system internally?
Darlington: The ColorWarehouse presents another view that we do not have within our Datacolor database, monitoring all of our production as well as knowing when adjustments should be made.
Thank you Darlington Fabrics for sharing your experiences and insights, and congratulations to an impressive CAP level accomplishment!
Darlington: Thank you!
Since the last welcome announcement, we are happy to welcome below new and returning retailers/brands, vendors and mills as software and service clients. We are looking forward to our new and continued relationships.
RETAILERS/BRANDS
Product Quality Inspection
Sailracing (Sweden)
VENDORS & MILLS
Color Accreditation Program (CAP) and Brand Certifications
Bestex Enterprise Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Carol Textile Co., Ltd. (Chyang Sheng) (Taiwan)
E. Textint. Corp. (Taiwan)
Eclat Textiles Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Fu Hsun Guanyin (Taiwan)
Promax Textile Co., Ltd. (Tainan) (Taiwan)
Scotts Garments Ltd. (India)
Shun Jin Industrial Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Texpasa (Guatemala)
Wilson Dyeing & Weaving (Huadu) Ltd. (China)
Zhejiang Charming Dyeing & Finishing Co., Ltd. (China)
System ColorWarehouse and ASAP
Achievetex Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Carvico SPA (Italy)
Chiu Ying Co., Ltd. (New Wide Enterprise Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Eclat Textile Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
end2end l Solutions (United States)
Enping Kam Hing Textile & Dyeing Co., Ltd (China)
Formosa Chemicals & Fiber Corp. (Taiwan)
Fu Hsun Guanyin (Taiwan)
Guangdong Charming Co., Ltd. (China)
HG Group (India)
Jiaxing Burlington Textile Co., Ltd. (China)
Joy Textile, S.A. DE C.V. (Mexico)
Joy Textile (Taiwan)
Kocaer Dis Ticaret A.S (Turkey)
Koojoo Global (South Korea)
Linea aqua Pvt., Ltd. (Sri Lanka)
Little King Ind. Co., Ltd (Taiwan)
Ms Uluslararasi Tekstil Iplik Mensucat Konfeksiyon San. Tic. Ltd. Sti (Turkey)
Nan Ya Plastic Corporation Kunshan (China)
Nan Ya Plastic Corporation UAASAP (Taiwan)
PT. Win Textile (Indonesia)
Putian City Huafeng Industrial and Trade Co., Ltd. (China)
Ramatex Printing Garment Suzhou (China)
Savar Dyeing and Finishing Ind., Ltd. (Bangladesh)
Shijiazhuang Mingshi Printing and Dyeing Co., Ltd. (China)
Standard Group Ltd. (Bangladesh)
Stilscreen Srl. (Italy)
Tah Tong Textile Co., Ltd. UAASAP (Taiwan)
Texpasa (Guatemala)
Toray International America (United States)
Ventura Enterprises Co Inc (United States)
Youngbo World Wide (South Korea)
Zhejiang Charming Dyeing & Finishing Co.,Ltd. (China)
SPECIAL NOTICE FOR ALL CAP MEMBERS
Following companies have successfully participated in the CAP and can download their reports:
Texpasa (Guatemala) – reCAP
Textiles Color Real (Guatemala) – reCAP
Welspun (India) – reCAP
| Don’t know too much about the CAP? Learn more below and contact us at support@natific.com with any questions.
The CAP program was developed as a collaborative project with retailers and has evolved to be the most comprehensive color accreditation program globally. The program is designed to evaluate the maturity and capability of a mill, determining if a mill will be able to produce any given color to a specific tolerance. It is intended to assess, educate and help mills move towards best practice through production analysis and expert recommendations. Once the on-site assessment is completed, a CAP level is assigned and the mill will have a list of required and recommended actions to be completed. The ColorWarehouse is an online system allowing mills to analyze production data based on color, fabric and dyeing machine. The system provides mills, vendors and retailers/brands with insight into the mills daily total production, including the current CAP level. |