TextileWorld Special Report: Profile in Progress (May 2001)
(reprinted with permission)

Ramtex Does It Right - First Time, Every Time
It has the right machines for the right products, but the Ramtex strong suit is the right attitude.

Talk to any of its suppliers, and you'll find they all agree. Ramtex Inc. Is one of the I best run operations in the textile industry, anywhere in the world. Ramtex may well be more than a textile operation; it is, in fact, a concept that embodies a quest for perfection that places it at or near the top of all industry. It's in part due to its ultra modern machinery complement-and its willingness, nay eagerness, to replace relatively new machines, should advanced technology come along that will improve the company's cost, quality or products.

Moreover, Ramtex has no problem being first with new technology. It is capable and willing to do whatever R&D it takes to ensure successful application of latest-and often heretofore untried-technology.

It concentrates on making the right products as well. Primary offers are pocketing, shirting and career apparel (uniform) fabrics. The company focuses on continual improvement in its product lines and will go to any length to see that such takes place.

The main reason, however, for the Ramseur (N.C.)-based company's success is its attitude. And that attitude stems from a corporate philosophy that starts with the owners, fostered by the man in charge of operations, then spreads like wildfire throughout the plant and its approximately 700 employees. The plant will do it right the first time, every time.

Ramtex owners, the Lee family, also own TAL Group, a Hong Kong based garment maker. Ramtex, however, does not ship its shirting fabrics to its parent. Rather it sells them on the open market. The Lees purchased the plant in 1988 from Burlington Industries.

Walter Bosch, executive vice president and director of Ramtex operations, says the family has invested every dime the plant has generated back into the operation. It is Bosch himself who promotes the "right" attitude throughout the plant.

Bosch personally handles the training, or education as he puts it, of his management team. His two superintendents, both under 30, thrive under his tutelage. Interestingly, one of his first moves when he became head of the whole operation was to swap these two unit managers.

Julie King-McDaniel was superintendent of yarn manufacturing; Mitch Hensley was superintendent of weaving. In swapping the positions of the two, Bosch not only provided growth opportunities for the managers themselves, but also helped bring about fresh ideas to each end of the plant.

Weaving typifies the plant's operation. Ramtex is the first in the U.S. and one of four in the world selected to install Sulzer Textil's M8300 multiphase weaving machines. And "selected" is definitely the right verb. With technology this new, and this different, the Swiss-based weaving machine maker had to be certain that the first installations would be in operations capable of handling the necessary R&D required for getting the machines off to the right start.

It also helps that Ramtex was already a Sulzer customer with an excellent working relationship. And the fact that the company was experienced in the use of high-speed airjet weaving machines was another plus But the chief factor in the decision-making process was the Ramtex approach to new technology.

Louie Dejonckheere, vice president of marketing, Sulzer Textile Inc. (the U.S. arm of the Swiss machine maker), says, "It's somewhat of a risky venture, installing anew concept 5,000 miles from home. We needed a customer who says, 'We're in the same boat.' Ramtex is a partner that we can count on. We needed a company whose people have good technical skills and can run tight processes. Also they need to be not scared of rocking the boat."

Another important factor was experience with high-speed air-jet weaving and the effect of loom-stops on efficiency. Dejonckheere discusses the evolution concerning weaving speeds, loom-stops and efficiency. Consider one loom-stop per 100,000 picks and approximately four minutes to restart the loom.

1) In the days of fly-shuttle weaving, it took approximately 11-12 hours to weave 100,000 picks. Add one or two 4-min downtime periods for loomstops, and the effect on overall efficiency was minimal.
2) With earlier air-jet weaving machines running about 500 ppm, it took a little over three hours to weave 100,000 picks. Again, add one or two 4-min downtime periods for loom-stops, and the effect on efficiency still isn't traumatic.
3) With later generation air-jet weaving machines capable of 900 ppm or better and less than two hours to weave 100,000 picks, you can see the effect from just one or two 4-min downtime periods for loom-stops.
4) Imagine that effect when it only takes 36 minutes to weave 100,000 picks at 2,800 ppm as is the case with the M8300.

At that speed, a number of other factors take on new meaning in the Weaving Dept. Bosch points out that the plant weaves about 1.5 ypm of fabric on the M8300 and doffs a full roll of cloth every 30 hours.

Loom beams on the high-speed multiphase machines measure 63 in. in diameter and hold 15,000- to 18,000-yd warps. Still, they run out fairly often.

Dejonckheere says that yarn quality suitable for high-speed air-jet weaving is generally suitable for the M8300. But the quality and condition of the filling packages themselves take on new significance. This is an area that Ramtex has given high priority. And obviously it is paying off. Loom-stops due to filling packages are running 0.1-0.2/100,000 picks.

Ramtex's initial order is for 22 M8300 multiphase weaving machines. The plant has installed and now operates 13. One more was scheduled for delivery following last month's ATME-I exhibition.

Of the 13 machines initially installed, II carry the VI designation; the latest two carry the V12. The latter two allow production of 2/1 twills and provide an extension of epi up to 91.
Speed on Ramtex M8300 machines is slightly more than 2,800 ppm. Elongation and single-end strength are important yarn quality parameters. Protection against friction is important in warps as yarn must pass over the a rotor, so sizing becomes significant.
Ramtex has produced both pocketing and shirting on the new multiphase machines, but its primary product is uniform fabrics. The machines come with 190-cm reed width.
Given the effect of just one loomstop/100,000 picks, time out for doffing and warp changes, it's amazing that Ramtex is already running 82-83% efficiency on its M8300 weaving machines.

Delivery on the balance of the multiphase machine order rests in part of development of styling, jointly being conducted by the machine maker and the machine user. One thing Ramtex intends to do eventually is weave filament on the machines. And you can bet the company will accomplish it, too.

In addition to the multiphase weaving machines, Ramtex also operates 260 Sulzer L5200 air-jet weaving machines. These 190-cm machines weave at approximately 900 ppm. Wide air-jet weaving machines the company has been using to produce sheeting fabrics are coming out of the plant, since Ramtex plans to exit this market.

As modern as Ramtex is in its weaving department, you'll find the company equally current in its yarn manufacturing technology. And the company doesn't shy away from complexities either.

The plant operates ring-, air-jet and air-vortex spinning machines. It is researching both rotor- and compact-spinning systems. It sells some ring-spun yarn on the outside and produces yarn for its own weaving department from its three production systems. Currently, Ramtex purchases open-end spun yarns from Frontier for use in its weaving department.

Bosch says, "Nothing in our opening room is over two years old. The company began replacing opening and cards that were less than 10 years old with an ultra-modern Trützschler system a couple of years ago. It now has seven 020 Blendomat lines in opening and is installing two intimate blend lines as well. Good cleaning and dedusting are requirements for the type processing Ramtex has in spinning.

The plant now operates 33 Trützschler cards, 26 Model 803 and seven Model 903. The two models are similar with the latest (903) having a wider chute and more electronics.
Cards produce mostly 65-grain/yd sliver at 100-150 lb/hr. Blends generally run in the 165-170 Hr/hr range. Drawing at Ramtex is all Rieter. Not surprisingly, this department is as modern as any other in the plant.

Current machinery consists of 20 sets or 60 drawing machines. If things were simple at Ramtex, that would be 20 SB 0!0 breakers, 20 SB 0!0 intermediates and 20 RSB D30 finishers. It's mostly that way with some few exceptions. The plant will install some additional drawing machinery to take care of some additional spinning capacity on the way, bringing the total to 70 drawing machines once the new ones are in place. The plant employs SB2 (2-dei) machines for precombing.

Ramtex can-links the three drawing processes, automating the movement of sliver cans between them. As indicated by the "R" in the model number, finisher drawing machines contain autoleveling systems.

A good portion of Ramtex production is combed. For this purpose, the plant also uses all Rieter machinery. It currently has in operation four UNIlap lap-winding machines and 24 combers. Of these, six are Model E60 with manual lap feeding; 18 are Model E70R equipped with SERVOlap automated lap feeding systems.

The plant's linked ring-spinning (Toyoda RSIOO to Murata Link Coners) at 10 years old may be the oldest machines in the plant. Ramtex will eventually remove some of its ring-spinning to make room for some new Murata Vortex spinning machines - taking out machines that one industry observer says many mills \would die for. "Shoot, ring-spinning is just well broken in after 10 years," the observer says. Ramtex currently operates 57 960-spindle linked ring-spinning to winder machines.

The plant, in its Burlington days, was one of the two first plants in the world to employ Murata air-jet spinning machines, installing four of the company's original Model 801 systems some 20 years ago.

It has since installed 30 72-position Model 802 Hand four Model 802 HR machines. Larry Kenyon, district sales manager for Murata, says, "Ramtex is only one of two plants in the world that has replaced earlier air-jet spinning with later versions." Some of its MJS (Murata Jet Spinning) systems are only two years old.

Ramtex is also one of the most successful users of MVS (Murata Vortex Spinning) systems. Kenyon says the company bought its first machine about a year ago and purchased five more right after Christmas. The company has since placed additional orders that will bring its total to 27.

The company processes a variety of carded cotton and polyester blends, combed cotton and polyester blends as well as 100% carded and combed cotton products. It is common for Ramtex to process 10 different blends at anyone time. Counts usually range from Ne 12 to 40 on the MJS machines and consist of blended products; yarns range from Ne 20 to 50 on the MVS and consist of both blends and 100% combed cotton.

It isn't unusual for plants installing the new MVS machines to take several weeks to achieve 95% efficiency, Ramtex had its machines operating at 98% by the second week following installation. Current efficiency ranges up to 99% on the high-speed machines. The plant's 72-position MJS machines operate at about 270 mpm; its MVS machines produce Ne 20 at 355 mpm.

For shirting fabrics, Ramtex generally produces Ne 39 warp and Ne 12.5 filling. For pocketing, it's Ne 17 warp and Ne 15 filling. One indication of the direction Ramtex may be moving in the future concerns the current in-plant R&D the company has engaged in spinning. On hand one finds the Rieter K44 ComforSpin compact spinning machine undergoing trials in the plant. One can see Rieter's R20 open-end spinning machine in operation as well.

The K44 system came to Ramtex via last fall's ATME-I, following its exhibition in Greenville. Bosch says the machine is designed for fine-count combed cotton and has been used quite successfully for that purpose in Europe. However, Ramtex would like to process some coarser counts in blended constructions on the machine, and it is to this end the company has been conducting its R&D.

With all the requirements for its air-jet spinning and air-jet weaving machinery, one could well imagine the need for compressed air at the Ramtex Plant. To this end, the plant employs six Ingersoll Rand air compressors-three 1,500-hp and three 1,200-hp machines.
Among other machines in its preparation area, Ramtex has three relatively new Benninger Ben-Vac warpers and recently installed West Point Foundry's latest pre-wet sizing system, the SAS-PW (TW, Mar., p. 28).This concept, though not likely to generate the level of chemical savings as the "scour and squeeze" version of pre-wet, it is...
...less expensive.
...quick to install.
...provides a hassle-free option of operating the slasher with or without pre-wet.

With the tremendous investment Ramtex has in processing machinery, it isn't surprising that the plant takes the steps necessary to ensure proper control of its operations.
In the beginning, the company inspected very little of its fabrics. Now the company inspects almost all of it and accomplished this feat without adding any labor.
Bosch says the plant produces 1.3 to 1.4 million yd per week and Inspects just shy of I million of it. Ramtex installed an f-TEX 100 W8 automated inspection system from EYS The W is for wide-up to 120 in. Fabric moves through the system and is inspected at 150 ypm.

Officials estimate that the system is 85-90% accurate. Manual inspection systems are rarely better than 50% accurate. A number of negatively influencing factors are eliminated with the automated system. Gone are such things as worker fatigue, different levels of experience from one inspector to another, personal feelings, lighting differences from one side of the room to the other, etc.

The key to the inspection system is the software. The system maker built the hardware to run the software, not vice versa. Technology, originally designed for defense applications, provides a system that can imitate the human eye and brain in its ability to detect and track objects of interest in complex scenes.

By imitating the human eye, the ITEX software learns what good fabric should look like and then detects significant changes in the fabric that may constitute a defect.

The system not only detects the defects, it provides a map of each roll identifying exactly where each defect occurs. An operator can look at a picture of a defect, often being able to determine the severity of it insofar as quality is concerned. The map itself helps determine the disposition of the roll. Should part of it be declared off-quality, the map provides the information necessary to maximize the first quality yardage.

Ramtex stores all maps on a CD for future reference. Should the quality of a shipped roll ever come into question, the company can refer to the map, possibly resolving any dispute without ever having to leave the plant.

Determining and ensuring proper quality is not just an "after its made" situation at Ramtex. Quality is a chief criteria in the yarn manufacturing area as well.

Ramtex has a full quality control lab that includes the normal testing systems found in most laboratories, i.e. Classimat, strength testers, etc In addition, the Ramtex lab includes a Zellweger Uster Tensojet. This system provides 30,000 tests per hour to predict weaving performance of the yarn.

Brand new in the Ramtex lab is a Zellweger Uster AFISPRO, introduced last October at ATME-I 2000. Ramtex has one of the first five such systems that were sold.
The instrumentation system measure neps, trash levels, fiber length, etc. in sliver and serves as a key and accurate predictor of performance.

On line at carding and drawing in the Zellweger Uster SliverData system. This system provides measurement of productivity and quality. It generates continuous measurement of weight, CY, spectrogram, and most importantly, thick place measurement.
Monitors throughout the plant enable management and associates to assess performance In real time, all the time.

"Ensuring highest quality sliver is paramount in our program," Bosch says.
In addition to these systems, Ramtex has Zellweger Uster Polymatic yarn clearers on its cone winders. It is currently evaluating Quantum clearers. On the Rieter R20 open-end spinning machine the plant is doing trial work, it is also evaluating the Uster URG-5 clearer for open-end spinning.

Zellweger Uster officials say "Ramtex personnel know how to use technology as a tool."

Take a tour through the Ramtex operation as it's increasingly clear, Ramtex personnel are masters of technology. It is paying off where it counts.

Despite the troubled economic times most textile companies are currently experiencing, Ramtex is operating 24 hr/day, 7 days/wk.

"We close four days a year," Bosch says. "Two at Christmas and two July 4."