German industrial units: textile team acquires useful knowledge from study tour

The German Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development is assisting Pakistan in the management of business associations and cleaner production in the textile industry. An 11-member delegation, representing five textile associations, went on a study tour which took them to Liba, Saxon Textils Research Institute, Ebitsch Nergietechnik, Huber, Schimadzu, Verband Der Bayerischen textile, and Agilant, manufacturer of laboratory equipment.
The textile associations, represented on the delegation, included Towel Manufacturers' Association of Pakistan (PMA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), Pakistan Cloth Merchants Association (PCMA), Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), and Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea).
Delegation members included Abid Chinoy, Asif Karim, Waqar Alam, Muzammil Hussain, Junaid Makda, Aamir Butt, Anees Ahmed, Zohaib Motiwala, Bilal Mulla, Shaikh Shafiq, and Salahiddin.
The objective of the partnership project, supervised by Sequa gGmbH, a world-wide operating development organisation and established in co-operation with bfz gGmbH (Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft), one of the largest private providers of vocational training in Germany, is to equip enterprises of textile industry in Pakistan with adopted techniques in order to enable them to work economically, more efficiently and ecologically sustainable, which shall ensure a sustainable textile industry and promote economic and social development of the country.
The tour was specially designed to enable the delegation to maximise their knowledge about innovations in the textile industry, design and technology, education and research for textile sector, in renewable energies on organisation and services of a modern business association.
The delegation got a unique opportunity to visit Heimtextil, Europe's largest trade fair for home textiles. Over 2,500 exhibitors from 60 countries presented the latest collections and trends for bedroom, bathroom and table textiles, as well as fabrics for windows, walls, floors, furniture and decoration. This was followed by visit to a world leader in textile Tricot, Raschel, Weft insertion machines and wrapping units, LIBA Maschinenfabrik GmbH.
These visits enabled the delegation members to conceptualise innovations taking place in the textile market and provided opportunity to identify potential for upgradation of the textile machinery in Pakistan. At Ebitsch Nergietechnik, a company for renewable energy, the delegation members got good knowledge on solar energy and its practical uses.
Its entire office ran on renewable energy. They install solar panel on rooftop and get energy from solar system. When the delegation members entered the office in the morning, the electric panel indicated 3.00 kilowatt-hour (kwh), but as sun became brighter, the energy increased to 17.00 kwh. The company executive explained all functions of the solar panel and their types. He also explained the working of the solar panel, how the heat can be generated from sun, and how the heat can be recovered and utilised for cooling system.
They have developed a generator which supplies proper electricity for heating, and cooling was recovered to run air-conditioning system. They have many projects in hand in India and Gulf countries and expressed their desire to work in Pakistan.
Pakistan delegation members also visited Hubar, which is basically engaged in manufacturing of effluent treatment plants, water recycling, heat recovery, etc. The company is working in India and Kuwait but has no business relations in Pakistan. The effluent treatment plant occupied very little space. They provided details of effluent eg quantity of effluent per day (in cubic metres), quality of effluent (presence of COD, BOD and other chemicals). They collect slug and burn it into an incineration. They not only manufacture plants but also produce membrane which is key factor in any recycling or effluent treatment plant.
According to Muzammil Hussain, it was a highly successful tour wherein the delegation members learnt a lot which could help in the growth of SMA Rizvi Textile Institute and TMA. Friendly relations were developed not only with equipment suppliers, like Bfz, Sequa, but also with universities where students can go for higher and specialised education and training of faculty. Besides, in-knowledge was gained in energy saving. The use of solar energy and research and development-based activities could help textile industry of Pakistan, he said.
As a result, quotations for lab equipment and their shipment before March 2010 would be received from Fischer, Shimadzu, and Agilant. Students of SMA Rizvi Textile Institute would be selected for study in Germany and an informative program would be arranged for members of TMA on technical textile, effluent treatment plant, renewable energy, and faculty training program with Textile University.