Renewal of clothing innovation

Industry innovation is at the right time

In actual production, the innovation of clothing dyeing and finishing technology and additives has also made the post-processing of textiles more refined and diversified, making it possible to produce multifunctional textile products, which also forces the continuous upgrading of the standard system.

In the laboratory of Shandong Kangkang New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., some seemingly ordinary fabrics actually have unexpected skills. A "thermometer" that can be worn on babies, Flexible fibers that can collect physiological signals... General Manager Liu Chunmei introduced, "This silver ion antibacterial temperature changing fabric can sense a baby's body temperature. Once it exceeds the normal range, the pattern of the clothes will disappear, achieving warning function. This intelligent conductive fiber can seamlessly fit the body parts, accurately detect external stimuli, and help achieve intelligent wearable textiles for human health management with 8 invention patents." With the accumulation of 50 utility model patents, these new intelligent fibers are constantly moving from materials to products, creating greater imagination space for the clothing industry.

"Functional standards are an important support for the development and application of new fibers, which helps to promote breakthroughs in key preparation technologies for high-performance fibers and processing technologies for high-performance textile products." Zhao Juanzhi said that currently, most of the multifunctional new fibers developed in China have not yet established identification standards, which poses great difficulties for the promotion and application of new fibers, making it difficult to effectively utilize their multifunctionality. At the same time, the same fabric is affected by different additives, and various functions are mutually restrictive and directly related to the quality of the finished product. Most of the existing functional knitted product standards are single function assessment and evaluation indicators, which are not conducive to the deep processing of products by enterprises and restrict the diversified development of the industry.

The implementation of the new national standard has pointed out the direction for the smooth and healthy entry of new fibers into the market, helping enterprises simplify complexity and directly start testing and evaluation from multifunctional features, greatly improving the practicality of the standard. Liu Chunmei stated that standards are the "wind vane" of enterprise development. Under the guidance of the new national standards, enterprises cannot simply stack past functions, but need to adjust and optimize various aspects such as product positioning, fabric selection, pattern design, cutting and sewing, dyeing and ironing, etc. This will become an important opportunity for enterprises to build commercial barriers and improve product competitive advantages.

In Zhao Juanzhi's view, the implementation of GB/T 41788-2022 "Multi functional Knitted Products" has prompted enterprises to focus on consumer needs

The difficulties, pain points, and blind spots of continuously increasing technological innovation, boldly improving processes, and actively eliminating the old to create new not only enrich market supply and broaden consumer choice space, but also drive the entire industry towards better quality, better service, and higher levels.

Green environmental protection favored

The consumption and harm of the clothing and textile industry to the environment has always been widely concerned. Due to direct contact between textiles and skin, clothing that is less dependent on chemical dyes and emphasizes environmental protection throughout the entire design and manufacturing cycle is undoubtedly more popular. Zhao Juanzhi stated that in this regard, the new national standard not only requires functionality, but also specifies the chemicals used in the production process and the safety of products.

Liu Chunmei, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the fiber industry, has a deep understanding of the changes in the consumer market. She told reporters that in the past, most customers disdained functional products and believed that the cost-effectiveness was not high. In recent years, with the implementation of the "dual carbon" strategy and the improvement of consumer health awareness, the market's acceptance of functional products has generally increased. Green sustainable development and differentiated innovation have become a consensus in the industry.

What Liu Chunmei said is true. In order to adapt to changes in the consumer market, enterprises are accelerating the improvement of their green product supply capacity, and a large number of new green and environmentally friendly equipment, materials, technologies, and processes have made breakthroughs. The "2022/2023 Knitting Product Trend" released by the China Knitting Industry Association shows that out of the 351 samples submitted by 77 companies, more than 80% of them applied for green and sustainable fabric samples, and the proportion of green and sustainable products was as high as 66%.

"Wearing this underwear made of seaweed fiber is like applying a 'facial mask' to the skin." Liu Chunmei told reporters that in order to comply with the low-carbon consumption trend, the company has developed a seaweed fiber. This fiber is made from natural kelp and seaweed as raw materials. After precipitation and extraction, its moisture absorption rate can reach 5 times that of pure cotton material, thereby alleviating problems such as rough and aging skin in autumn and winter. When it comes to the advantages of seaweed fiber, Liu Chunmei said, "The industry is now very focused on reducing the consumption of natural resources in fabric development. We cultivate 30000 acres of seaweed, just like planting trees in the ocean. It produces a large amount of fiber, high water content, and is environmentally friendly and biodegradable, which is of great significance for water conservation, efficiency improvement, carbon reduction, and carbon sequestration."