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INTERVIEW “Usterized® member programme
and quality verification system offers a unique advantage to our customers
and gives them In January 2003 the management of Zellweger Uster and two investment companies CapVis and Quadriga Capital acquired the Zellweger Uster Division of the Zellweger Luwa. The newly formed company is called Uster Technologies. Uster Technologies is the world's leading supplier of quality control systems for testing fibre, yarn and fabric in the textile industry. Uster Technologies achieved sales in 2002 of CHF 143 million. Uster has 470 employees and produces in Uster (Switzerland) and in Knoxville (USA) and has 50 sales and service agencies worldwide. Uster is and will remain the head office of the company. Pakistan Textile Journal is pleased to present an interview with Dr. Geoffery Scott and a brief discussion about the Usterized Programme and its operation in Pakistan for the interest of our readers. Can you tell us about Uster Technologies and its evolution. 2003 was an important year as Zellweger Uster became Uster Technologies. Uster has an experience of more than 60 years and is acknowledged as a leader for quality management systems from fiber to fabric, and the creation of a brand that is instantly recognizable in the industry. Uster has been at the forefront of the technology that enables the textile industry to manufacture textile products at minimum costs. Our testing and monitoring equipment make use of intelligent sensor technology. Our products are found in different phases of the production processing. From inspecting raw material, to the textile laboratory, to the production floor of a spinning or weaving mill, Uster® is there monitoring, learning, controlling and taking action. Recently your brand “Usterized” has appeared in your promotion campaign. What is the concept behind it? Testing of cotton fibre, yarn or fabric by Uster instruments yield accurate and reliable quality and these products fetch higher value in markets. As you may already know, USTER® STATISTICS are acknowledged internationally as the basis of certification. The Usterized® quality branding acts as a seal that indicates a certain quality for yarns tested and cleared with Uster
Dr. Geoffery Scott, C.E.O, Uster Technologies products. The application of the Usterized® brands is now used in the entire textile manufacturing process. The Usterized brand differentiates our customers and Usterized® member programme offers a unique advantage to our selected customers. For export oriented yarn merchants, the quality verification system by Uster gives them an edge. Similarly, cotton bales tested with Uster HVI for conformity with export parameters fetch better price. In addition, we offer our Usterized members special application reports and access to the on-line knowledge base. Tell us something about your presence in Pakistan. We are represented in Pakistan for over 25 years. Pakistan is one of the 4 most important markets for us, besides India, China and Turkey. We have the largest number of instruments in Pakistan as compared to our competitors. We send our own engineers to update local technicians and mills on innovations and improvements through seminars and training sessions. Our strong network of sales and service agents offer their services in Pakistan such as our unique service centre, which offers a competent and reliable support network. What are some of your new innovations particularly interesting for Pakistan? Uster® Tensojet 4, the latest in tensile strength testing for yarns! It is an automatic instrument with a testing speed of almost 400 m/min, 30,000 tests per hour. Uster HVI units has become standard in many other major cotton-producing countries worldwide, including the USA, Brazil,, Pakistan etc. There are already over 1,700 HVI systems in operation around the world making it the standard. The Fiber Inspection Bureau of China has recently purchased 13 HVI classing units to establish an official classification system in China. We have been working with the Chinese government for the past five years and they realize that in order to be successful in the export market they have to be familiar with the Uster Statistics. In terms of reproducibility the HVI system is now a benchmark for the industry. The Quantum clearer has also been a tremendous success, with almost a million units now installed world-wide. New Quantum 2 is capable to detect white or transparent polypropylene. Basically, optical sensors could see everything apart from the invisible. New patented technology other than that is based on a new combination of sensors and the bottom line is it works. This is really a significant breakthrough. Fabriscan on-loom, also demonstrated at ITMA, is an important innovation both for the fabric manufacturers and the loom builders. It will be commercially released in 2004 after it has been extensively tested in the market. We expect to start deliveries by the third quarter 2004. In your opinion is Pakistan ready to meet the challenges of the future? As I mentioned earlier, Pakistan is a very important textile producing country. Pakistan’s industrialists recognize that there is increasing global competition from countries like China as the textile industry is shifting from the US and the West to Asia, particularly to countries like China and Pakistan. In my opinion Pakistan is ready to face this competition. The industry is making necessary investments to meet these challenges and I am very positive about the success of Pakistan’s textile industry by Amina Baqai, Editor |
