PCCA Upgrades Texas Denim Mills
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA) announced the beginning of a modernization project at its American Cotton Growers (ACG) denim mill at Littlefield, Texas. New state-of-the art spinning frames are being installed that will greatly increase production speed and flexibility. ACG is one of the largest denim manufacturers in the United States, with capacity to produce 36 million linear yards annually. Phase One of the project will begin in early April with the arrival of the first of three Schlafhorst Autocoro 8 rotor spinning frames that contain 480 rotors each, according to PCCA Vice President of Textile Manufacturing Bryan Gregory.
"These new spinning frames will replace half of ACG's current rotor spinning capacity with much higher manufacturing efficiencies," said Gregory. The project is scheduled for completion in early June 2012. The new Autocoro 8 revolutionizes automatic rotor spinning technology and is the biggest innovation in rotor spinning in the last 30 years, according to Schlafhorst. The technology is based on an innovative machine concept that allows each spinning position to be autonomous and individually automated.
"We will be able to manufacture up to five different yarn counts simultaneously on each new spinning frame due to their single-drive technology," Gregory added. "We can change these continuously with full production in progress, and this will allow us to better meet ourcustomers’ needs as they respond to changes in the denim apparel market. This is because with this new equipment, start-up takes minutes, not hours, to reach full production."
PCCA is a farmer-owned cotton marketing cooperative headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. Its ACG denim mill and Denimatrix facility in Guatemala City, Guatemala, comprise the only fully vertically integrated supply chain for denim apparel in the Western Hemisphere. ACG was one of fivefinalists for the Texas Employer of the Year Award in 2011, and Denimatrix was one of three recipients of the 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence presented by the U.S. State Department.
"These new spinning frames will replace half of ACG's current rotor spinning capacity with much higher manufacturing efficiencies," said Gregory. The project is scheduled for completion in early June 2012. The new Autocoro 8 revolutionizes automatic rotor spinning technology and is the biggest innovation in rotor spinning in the last 30 years, according to Schlafhorst. The technology is based on an innovative machine concept that allows each spinning position to be autonomous and individually automated.
"We will be able to manufacture up to five different yarn counts simultaneously on each new spinning frame due to their single-drive technology," Gregory added. "We can change these continuously with full production in progress, and this will allow us to better meet ourcustomers’ needs as they respond to changes in the denim apparel market. This is because with this new equipment, start-up takes minutes, not hours, to reach full production."
PCCA is a farmer-owned cotton marketing cooperative headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. Its ACG denim mill and Denimatrix facility in Guatemala City, Guatemala, comprise the only fully vertically integrated supply chain for denim apparel in the Western Hemisphere. ACG was one of fivefinalists for the Texas Employer of the Year Award in 2011, and Denimatrix was one of three recipients of the 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence presented by the U.S. State Department.