Page 7 - Machines Italia Vol. XIII Next Generation Manufacturing

An Itema R9500 rapier weaving machine—Extremely fast and backed up by comprehensive training and support.
Taming the modern machine
Manufacturing equipment in the USA has become increas- ingly sophisticated and automated, in part to address the shortage of qualified personnel. There are a number of reasons for why qualified workers are getting scarce. Ex-
perienced workers are retiring. Despite the industry’s best efforts, new workers tend unfavorably to view a career in manufacturing. Re- shoring from low-cost countries demands high productivity. Automa- tion is the answer to all these problems.
But that in turn raises the bar for training the people who run that high tech equipment. For example, the Italian company Itema SpA (Colzate, Italy, www.itemagroup.com) has taken a compre- hensive approach to solving this problem. A member of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (Milan, Italy, www.acimit.it/main-e.htm), Itema is a global provider of advanced weaving solutions, and the only manufacturer in the world to provide the top three weft insertion technologies: rapier, air jet and projectile.
They boast a worldwide presence, with commercial, after-sales, and training centers in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Italy, Switzerland,
China, India, Japan, Hong Kong, and Dubai. In fact, most of these lo- cations, to include the US headquarters, can provide hands-on train- ing on Itema’s latest machines, and even discontinued models on request. In addition to the availability of training at an Itema facility, customers can request on-site training. And Itema also operates an on-line training portal, with modules tailored to each machine model and ranging from basic to advanced skill levels. Courses include the user-interface, electronic platform, mechanical aspects of the ma- chines, and textiles. Beyond that, Itema also has highly skilled and experienced weaving technicians and textile experts on-call to en- sure quick and personalized after-sales support.
Lest you think that’s over-investing in training and support, con- sider the challenges faced by an Itema customer like Valdese Weav- ers, (Valdese, North Carolina, USA, www.valdeseweavers.com/). As its chief operations officer for manufacturing, Carson Copeland, explained, Valdese is a “jacquard weaver that makes more complex woven fabrics than most other manufacturers.” They operate about 150 looms, many with Itema’s flexible rapier technology, “which
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