Itema, the manufacturer of advanced weaving solutions, has this week introduced its new iSAVER mechatronic device at the Denim Première Vision event in Milan, Italy.

The iSAVER enables denim weavers to save up to 1,000 kg of cotton per loom per year, potentially avoiding the wate of 20 million litres of water annually.

The made-in-Italy innovation is already installed at some of the world’s biggest denim weaving mills in China, Vietnam, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and South America.

Denim is one of the most popular fabrics in the world, with 3.5 billion garments produced every year, Itema notes. The denim manufacturing process, which absorbs about 35% of world cotton production and powers a global market that reached a value of US$21.8 billion in 2020, has a strong environmental impact. In fact, it is reported by some sources that 3,800 litres of water and 18.3 kWh of electricity are needed to make a single pair of jeans, generating emissions of 33.4 kg of CO2 during the entire life cycle of the product.

“The entire textile supply chain is constantly looking for ideas and solutions to improve the sustainability of production processes, by innovating technologies and processing systems to reduce waste, water and electricity consumption,” said Itema Group CEO Ugo Ghilardi. “With iSAVER, we have brought an excellent solution to the market, which makes the difference because it allows denim weavers and fashion brands to offer a finished product with a much lower ecological footprint. We have been the only textile machinery manufacturer to participate as an exhibitor at Denim Première Vision this week precisely because of the uniqueness of our technology and the contribution it makes to the production of sustainable denim.”

iSAVER eliminates the waste selvedge on the fabric left-hand side by inserting the weft without the need of additional yarns, significantly reducing raw materials and water waste. The device has been designed and developed by Itemalab, the Itema Group company dedicated to product and process innovation. Located at the Kilometro Rosso Innovation District in Bergamo, the company employs around 70 engineers and specialists.

www.itemagroup.com