For many spinning mills across the world, mechanical downtime causes…
How JI+ Spinning Cans Innovation is Going to Help Textile Mill Owners
The unwavering focus of Jumac on making textile spinning processes progressively smarter, through the implementation of sophisticated technology, has been a factor behind the success and global recognition of our company for close to five decades. Having started out with jute cans, Jumac has constantly upgraded its portfolio and brought in new innovations – right from HDPE sheets, caster wheels and other accessories, to trolleys, a dedicated mobile app for prompt service query resolution (the Smart Can app, available on iOS and Android) and more. We understand that the precise requirements of mills constantly change, and our innovations are focused on delivering true value to customers.
At the recently concluded India ITME 2022, Jumac launched the breakthrough Ji+ technology. Our latest innovation is all about leveraging smart automation capabilities to make the management of spinning cans on mill floors more efficient – bolstering overall productivity levels in the process. Here is a lowdown on how the Ji+ innovation is going to help textile mill owners and floor managers:
Overcoming the Existing Challenges
The textile spinning industry is, by nature, labour-intensive. This over-reliance on manual effort, in turn, brings forth a series of challenges – right from yarn mix-ups and sub-optimal utilisation of sliver cans, to a complete lack of traceability and system delays & downtimes. These are precisely what the Ji+ technology has been designed to resolve. This innovation is all about leveraging smart automation capabilities to minimise the manual involvements and related uncertainties and efficiencies.
Over the years, the prime prerogative of Jumac has remained constant: to come up with solutions and technology integrations that optimise mill productivity levels and ensure superior yarn quality from the very outset. With the cloud-based Ji+ system, the company has taken the next step to make mill operations and management smarter than ever.
More Visibility for Actionable Insights
In order to maximise mill performance, there is a need for timely, accurate data. For instance, if a set of spinning cans are sitting idle – and no one is aware about it – that amounts to a wastage of resources (or, suboptimal resource utilisation). This is addressed by the Ji+ system, which operates as a data-driven network with last-mile traceability and data visibility on a real-time basis.
With the help of Ji+, decision-makers at spinning mills (operators, floor managers, etc.) get absolute clarity regarding the status of sliver in all the cans at any point of time. Hence, chances of delays/manual oversights during can replacement are ruled out. In addition, final yarn accuracy levels are also enhanced.
Powered by IIoT. Ushering in Industry 4.0.
In the ‘connected world’ that we live in now, the potential of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to boost mill efficiency and productivity can hardly be overemphasised. Jumac has introduced the Ji+ concept to allow its customers to seamlessly integrate machine learning (ML) in their day-to-day operations. In other words, this innovation will help mills to establish a fully IIoT-enabled sliver handling system with centralised control & monitoring. Industry 4.0 is sweeping the manufacturing sector across verticals – and Ji+ paves the way for spinning mills to join the bandwagon.
Understanding Ji+ in Detail
Backed by several quarters of dedicated research, Jumac’s Ji+ spinning cans offer an end-to-end management system for all types of sliver cans at mills. The proprietary software is backed by state-of-the-art hardware systems – establishing a ‘smart ecosystem’, right from yarn preparation to the final material handling phase.
A quick overview of how the Ji+ system works would be appropriate at this point. In order to ensure accurate segregation of different yarns (in terms of quality/type), these cans come with ‘smart bands’, with built-in LEDs that can be programmed to have as many as 12 colour options. Based on the exact sliver status in the can (i.e., full, empty) the visual pattern in the ‘smart band’ will change. The system also ensures full tracking of yarn movements, so that mix-ups do not happen (i.e., the ‘wrong’ sliver is never fed into a spinning machinery). Since there are no delays/errors in can replacement, yarn threads remain uniform and breakage-free.
A Cloud-Based Sliver Handling Solution
All the data generated by the Ji+ network of spinning cans are directly received and stored on the cloud. Authorised personnel can access and visualise the data, and take key decisions regarding can management on the basis of this data.The presence of this cloud-based dashboard ensures better operational visibility and greater control. Can utilisation ratio also goes up significantly, ensuring ROI-optimisation.
Being able to access can monitoring data at any time, and from anywhere, is a key advantage of the Ji+ innovation. To make sure of this, the technology has been made fully compatible with the Jumac Smart Can mobile application. All that operators need to do is connect their devices to the Ji+ cloud, to track can management processes. The investment required to set up this infrastructure is hardly significant.
The Hive Mind of Spinning
By integrating the Ji+ technology, spinning mills can introduce the concept of ‘integrated can management’. Through the network, a hive mind is created – backed by data-driven automation. Working capital efficiency is also boosted, with the help of scientific flow management planning. Utilisation of Machines (or, UoM) is yet another metric that is optimised. The smart Ji+ cans are powered by sensors, and the technology has every potential to take mill performance levels to newer heights.
As one of the largest trade events of its kind, India ITME 2022 was the ideal platform for us to unveil the first look of Ji+ spinning cans technology. Visitors from different countries dropped in at our stall, and everyone was unanimous in their appreciation of our latest innovation – and its potential to pave the way for the creation of truly smart mills. Jumac has, over the years, been synonymous with innovation in the field of textile spinning, and the Ji+ technology indeed represents the very best of Industry 4.0.
Passionate about transforming the industrial sector of textile and spinning industry with innovative solutions. Director at Jumac Manufacturing, leading spinning cans and accessories manufacturer and exporter from Kolkata, India.
