Itema Group, a leading manufacturer of weaving solutions, unveils at ITMA 2023, the world’s main exhibition for the textile machinery industry, a preview of its plans to launch an innovative as-a-service solution, developed in partnership with SECO, aimed at introducing a set of value-added services based on artificial intelligence and dedicated to the textile industry.
In a highly competitive and high-tech sector, improving machine efficiency represents an important advantage for all the players across the value chain. In this perspective, the end-to-end solution imagined by Itema is designed to provide users with real-time suggestions on the optimal machine set-up parameters: a substantial innovation compared to the solutions currently available on the market, mainly based on remote monitoring of the device’s operational status.
Itemalab, the Itema Group company that specialized in product and processes innovation, will develop innovative sensing systems and advanced interconnection protocols for the weaving machine. The aim is to extract functional parameters extensively and accurately from the Itema weaving machines so that it will be possible to compare the real machine with its digital reference model elaborated from industry best practices in terms of machinery setting.
SECO will contribute to this development with its IoT, data orchestration and AI expertise, through the Clea platform, it will be possible to perform advanced inference activities to identify correlations between several data categories. By adopting adequate cybersecurity protocols, this information will be used to feed virtual models (digital twins) specifically developed to reproduce the optimal setting and behaviour of the physical devices: this will enable to return of insights on the machines’ functioning and, through dedicated artificial intelligence algorithms, provide both user customers and Itema designers with valuable suggestions on improvement actions to be undertaken.
In this way, Itema’s customers will be able to increase the productivity and performance of their machines, enhancing the operators’ user experience and simplifying the management of highly complex equipment from a mechanical, electronic, and operational point of view.
At the same time, it will be possible to plan and optimize maintenance interventions by specialized technical personnel, as well as develop solutions meeting the strictest performance expectations from customers.
“We look towards a future that is already here, made of technology and data. Digital technologies are enabling tools that can improve human-machine interaction and optimize productivity and performance. A weaving machine is a complex piece of equipment that combines mechanical, electronic, and textile principles. Having this in mind, the digitalization and design of new software solutions are essential to bring useful innovation for both the weaver and the entrepreneur, through processes streamlining and optimization that would otherwise be complex and time-consuming. Creating synergies with excellence in the software world such as SECO is the key for Itema to start a sharing of experience, knowledge, and ideas that can lead to valuable contaminations for our customers”, said Ugo Ghilardi, CEO of Itema Group.
“More and more companies are beginning to perceive the potential of digital technologies and artificial intelligence as tools to deploy high value-added functionalities along their value chain: we are glad to support a cutting-edge company like Itema, providing them with solutions to differentiate their offering by introducing AI-powered services into their business model”, said Massimo Mauri, CEO of SECO.
