From "inextricably linked" to "ever-changing"

Feel the power of science and technology in "China Textile City"

(2024-01-29) Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph Economy

How many possibilities will a piece of silk or cloth "weave" into advanced technology?

At the beginning of the year, the reporter walked into the China Textile City cluster in Keqiao District, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province.

Through the shops in the textile city, like a sea of cloth. Here, you can meet the strength of the independent development of characteristic fabrics merchants everywhere.

In a shop called "clothing on" in the eastern district, sales manager Luo liqin picked up a sample cloth called "bamboo satin" and said that it weaves green bamboo fiber and wrinkle-resistant polyester fiber together, which is not only delicate and smooth, but also breathable, moisture-absorbing, antibacterial and wrinkle-resistant.

"Some functional fabrics have been developed for half a year. Although the cost of research and development is high, the products with high added value are more competitive." The shop's fabric development director Long Ping told reporters.

Relying on scientific and technological innovation to enhance product competitiveness has long been the consensus of more than 30000 operators.

"Last year, we and the National Graphene Innovation Center jointly developed a graphene technology and environmental protection fabric that integrates anti-ultraviolet, antibacterial, antistatic, far-infrared, moisture absorption, and quick-drying functions." Zhu Yu, general manager of Shaoxing Hantu Textile Co., Ltd., which is located in the textile city gray cloth market, told reporters.

The company has used functional fabrics as a new growth point, with total sales up 53% year-on-year last year. "During this period of time, 800 looms in the factory have been rotating continuously, and orders have been placed until April." Zhu Yu said.

Despite the lack of demand and many other challenges, China Textile City still hand over a bright report card. In 2023, the turnover of the China Textile City market group exceeded 270 billion yuan, an increase of 8.22 percent over the same period last year, and the turnover of the "online and offline" markets exceeded 360 billion yuan. Textile exports in Keqiao District reached 109.4 billion billion yuan, an increase of 5.15 percent over the same period last year.

Today, to advance to the high-end fabric, create fabric brand has become the goal of many cloth merchants. In the exhibition hall on the first floor of wanzi technology co., ltd., sample garments made of high-end fabrics such as solona environmental protection yarn, TR gallbladder-free velvet, TAC triacetic acid and hollow yarn are lined up.

"The fabric of this down jacket integrates the functions of low static electricity, wind and water resistance, high air permeability and moisture permeability, and is very popular with high-end down jacket ready-to-wear brands." Ye Shiping, president of Wanzi Technology Co., Ltd., said, "We are promoting fabric brand building. Every garment made of Wanzi fabric will be hung with its own fabric tag, which allows the fabric to have an 'ID card '."

The textile fabric industry has always been competitive. How to continuously expand online exhibition channels on the basis of stable offline is a challenge faced by cloth merchants.

Using a design software called Style3D, Zhejiang Jiexin Textile Technology Co., Ltd. has digitized thousands of printed patterns, made nearly 100 digital sample clothes, and used AI digital human models to carry out virtual shows, thus displaying fabrics online more intuitively. "In order to increase the sales volume of fabrics, we often make some sample garments. Nowadays, through the digitization of sample garments, we can help more fabric wholesalers and garment manufacturers who can't go to the scene to see the cloth to feel the effect of the cloth." Company general manager Liu Huahai told reporters.

In Keqiao, "inextricably linked" can not only weave cloth to make clothes, but also become a new material to join the broader industrial world.

Walking into Zhejiang Meisheng New Materials Co., Ltd., office director Li Xiaoqiang picked up a gray suede-like cloth and told reporters, "This is polyurethane microfiber leather, which is not only light and breathable, but also flame retardant. This material has been used in the interiors of a number of electric vehicles."

Li Xiaoqiang said that the company is working closely with Zhejiang Modern Textile Technology Innovation Center.

In this technological innovation center, the reporter saw the infinite possibilities of "a silk": high-strength body armor, medical human heart "blood vessels", can be heat insulation, sound insulation, flame retardant, moisture-proof aviation-grade glass fiber cotton felt, can be used in deep-sea mooring projects for 30 years of special cables ...... These magical products have been widely used in aerospace, marine equipment, medicine and other fields.

"The role of technological innovation in enhancing the added value of the textile industry is immeasurable." The person in charge of Zhejiang Modern Textile Technology Innovation Center said that since its establishment in July 2022, the center has jointly carried out more than 80 key technology research projects with enterprises and institutions, providing various forms of services for hundreds of enterprises.

It can not only add new functions to traditional fabrics, but also incarnate new materials into the sky and into the sea--

Scientific and technological forces are constantly promoting the quality and efficiency of the textile industry chain and supply chain, bringing about format renewal and value extension, and creating more "cloth" possibilities.