Specialty Fabrics Review November 2019 - 50

IFAI EXPO 2019

SPECIALTY FABRICS

utomation, productivity and efficiency were top-of-mind for
attendees at IFAI Expo 2019 in Orlando-plus the need to
work together with suppliers, manufacturers, government
agencies and educators to take textile theory to profitable practice.
Thousands of show participants took advantage of the educational
opportunities to learn about what works, what doesn't, how to find
new products and markets and the trained and talented staff to make
things happen. From shade products to space products, face-to-face
information exchange means real-world opportunity.

INDUSTRY 4.0

What does it mean for you?

ndustry 4.0 is a German initiative that began in 2011. The
loose definition focuses on four main areas: interconnection
(sensors, machines and devices), information (free-flowing
information), assistance (robots/technology making a worker's
job easier and more efficient), and better decisions.
Jonathan Palmer, CEO of Autometrix Inc., presented the
session "Industry 4.0 for Small Businesses," at the show,
saying that Industry 4.0 has not yet been achieved; today's
industry ranges somewhere between Industry 3.7 and
Industry 3.9. According to Palmer, issues that stand in the way
between the industry of today and Industry 4.0 include: the
high costs of upfront investments for new systems, software
and technology; every business has to create a new business
model; ROI is unclear; and there is no agreement about the
"buzzwords" associated with Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0's idealized process goes beyond today's
standard process and will rely heavily on digital elements such
as CAD software, cloud computing and e-commerce.
Large corporations have the capacity to make upfront
investments for high-tech solutions; smaller businesses will
find it more challenging to prepare for the future. Palmer
suggested companies not wait until Industry 4.0 has arrived,
but instead identify principles to apply, recognize
that technology will continue to evolve, and
choose to partner with companies that
can support their business
goals and build toward
the future.

Don't overlook overhead

wning Tracker's Gary Westlund knows what he's talking about
when he says, "Overhead is a real cost. Unless you properly account
for overhead on job bids, you are just guessing." Westlund gave a straighttalk presentation on Oct. 3, telling attendees he has owned and operated
his own awning business for 25 years, driving an increase from $400,000
to $6 million in annual revenues. He has since sold the business and now
works as a business coach to other awning companies.
He recommends that business owners accurately identify the true
costs of a job: including costs of goods, direct and indirect labor costs
and overhead. Using a simple pricing strategy of costs of materials times
three is not good enough, he cautions, adding: "Learn to tailor pricing to
the job and avoid bad jobs, if you can."
Westlund discussed common methods of estimating jobs: percentage
of project costs, cost multipliers and the billable hours methods. The billable hours method is what he recommends, which involves dividing the
total cost by billable hours.
To build a successful company, Westlund suggests, "Stay out of trouble
by doing what you do best; avoid jobs that you sense will be trouble." And
don't try to price match your competitors; instead, build alliances and
outsource tasks when it makes sense-such as with digital printing.
His three take-aways: Calculate overhead accurately, price jobs
with confidence, and focus on achieving your profit goals.

Developing effective PPE

arc Mathews recalls his time as a Marine stationed in Iraq, where
he wondered about the design and origins of the personal protective
equipment (PPE) he wore. "Who made this?" he wondered. "Who thought
this was a good system? Did they test it?"
Mathews is a research associate with the Textile Protection and Comfort
Center (TPACC) at North Carolina State University, and is now part of a team
that researches, tests and evaluates the comfort and protective performance
of textile materials, garments and ensemble systems.
The global market for protective clothing was valued at $8.8 billion in
2019 and is projected to reach $11.9 billion by 2024, he said. In particular,
the smart PPE market is expected to see a 16 percent compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023. North America is the largest market.
In a market with high stakes and complex architectures, a product
may have many parts or layers; the design must balance protection with
comfort; and interfaces, such as where a glove meets a suit, are critical
to effectiveness. It can be difficult to capture all user needs.
An effective process draws from an engineering-based approach for
complex systems, such as an aircraft carrier, and applies the process to the
development of protective clothing. This helps to reduce overall technical
and acceptability risk, reduces costs, systematically defines technical
requirements, makes informed decisions earlier in the process, and better
optimizes performance trade-offs, such as comfort verses protection.
Mathews offered an overview of the approach, and noted that one of the
many challenges is that change can be difficult for the end user. Users
often have the most specific information that developers need, and bringing
them into the process early helps to avoid late-stage revisions. "Users are
very willing to tell you what you are doing wrong," he said. A developmental
approach also helps to capture unspoken user expectations. The goal is
always to make better systems, more efficiently, at lower risk, and give
the end user protection, function and performance.

Specialty Fabrics Review November 2019

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