How this mill eliminated subjectivity and reduced lead times by 3 weeks
Hundreds of the world’s leading dyes houses have chosen natific’s CAP program to cut out the lab dip submission process and achieve straight-to-production privileges. We randomly selected a CAP mill to feature with a short interview.
The spinning, knitting and dyeing mill, Texfina S.A. in Peru, was tired of subjective comments on lab dips, delayed customer feedback, and long lead times in the traditional color development process.
When they heard about natific’s Color Accreditation Program (CAP) from their retail customer Under Armour, they jumped on it.
Texafina engineer Karina Vargas told natific during our interview that they decided to join the CAP program because of the time saving potential and technical color support provided.
The mill joined the CAP in 2014; let’s see what Karina says today about their experience.
natific: Before the CAP program, what was your procedure for developing new colors?
Texfina: Before we started working with natific and the CAP program, color development could take more than 3 weeks. The approval depended on the subjectivity of who evaluated our lab dips, which often frustrated us.
This is how our procedure looked before we joined the CAP, and how we spend our time today with the CAP:
Color development is now achieved in 3 days for our customer Under Armour, who is a member of natific’s CAP program too. After this, we send one option with its spectrophotometer measurement and receive the answer within 3 days (total 6 days).
The probability of being rejected is very low, so in general it takes 3 days instead of 16-29 days!
natific: What are your thoughts today about the program?
Texfina: Thanks to the CAP, color development is now objective because we have defined the tolerances and we read the shades by spectrophotometer. This translates into huge time saving for the whole supply chain.
natific: What was it like getting started?
Texfina: It was a bit challenging to get started because it requires a review of all procedures in the laboratory, production, dye-kitchen, finishing and quality control, as well as equipment calibration and maintenance program and personnel training.
However, we would advise all mills who are not CAP members to join to the program, so that they, too, can get the advantages that the program offers.
natific: What do you see as your biggest accomplishments as a CAP member?
Texfina: I would say the improvement in our color consistency lot-to-lot. We achieve great results thanks to the spectrophotometric tools and color data available in natific’s ColorWarehouse system.
Screenshot taken from the ColorWarehouse showing color accuracy, precision and consistency for a production batch for RED 600.
natific: How has the CAP program helped you achieve your business goals?
Texfina: The CAP Program has helped us to decrease re-processing and to improve lead times. During the CAP accreditation, natific’s technical support team made observations about problems and mistakes that we were making.
natific: Any specific improvements that you would like to tell us about?
Texfina: With pleasure! With natific’s advice, we have made many improvements in procedures, processes and equipment. For example, we have changed our wet-on-wet finishing process for knitted fabrics according to the suggestions from natific.
The implementation of the “pick-up measuring” procedure before and after impregnation has helped us to calculate the reinforced recipe and the necessary volume to prepare, to keep a uniform finishing in the fabric from beginning to the end.
Additionally, we have invested in a modern automatic control Stenter frame “Bruckner Power Pad” with two padders and eight fields to ensure the process.
“Pick-up measuring” procedure for the wet-on-wet finishing process.
Stenter frame “Bruckner Power Pad”.
Example of “Pick-up” measurement results.
natific: Would it be beneficial if all of your brand/retail customers joined the CAP?
Texfina: Yes, undoubtedly! It would take away the subjectivity and increase the speed for everyone involved.
natific: Thank you Karina Vargas and team (Carmen Uribe, Nancy Díaz, Luis Mesías, Marcelino Santos, and Walter Cruz), it was great talking to all of you!
Texfina: Well, thank you!
Sincerely,
your natific team
Don’t hesitate to contact us at support@natific.com to learn more