How to speed up the processes from design to final product? Lectra from Paris, France, has a bucket full of CAD/CAM and processing solutions. The company, one of the world’s market leaders in this area, proposes several new versions of their software for design and pattern making as well as for their cutting systems.
Right now, the French company Lectra is in a strong position, even though the markets are weak, also for suppliers of CAD/CAM and cutting room machines. Lectra knew to enlarge its competence with the acquisitions made in the past – Investronica Systemas from Spain, Lacent from Canada, Humantec from Germany in the cutting sector and some other specialists in the CAD sector. Lectra is one of the world leaders in integrated technology solutions (software, CAD/CAM equipment and associated services) dedicated to industries using soft materials: textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials. Lectra serves its customers throughout the world in a broad array of major global market sectors including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, the aeronautical and marine industries.
Daniel Harari, CEO of Lectra, is proud to say, that the financial position of the company is extremely good, as the income depends not only from sales but is strongly supported by the service contracts, which allow a worldwide 24 X 7 helpdesk service for all registered customers. “At €7 million, income from operations fell only 9% relative to 2007, despite a 6% drop in revenues.
[bleft]Our presence at IMB is a proof of our commitment to the industry. The new value-added solutions will fulfil our customers’ requirements and help them overcome the challenges of their industry.”[/bleft]
This performance can be credited to the speed and effectiveness of the cost-cutting measures we introduced as early as July 1 and reinforced in September, and of course to our robust business model. Our net income came to €3.2 million.” At IMB, he underlines, “Our presence at IMB is a proof of our commitment to the industry. The new value-added solutions will fulfil our customers’ requirements and help them overcome the challenges of their industry such as the need to increase profitability and make significant savings.”
He also applauded the step taken by Obama administration to help consumption. “There are encouraging signs of optimism. I believe the rebound will be between second and third quarter of this year,” says Harari.
Kaledo: Textile and Fashion Design
Lectra’s Kaledo suite V2R1 provides designers with advanced textile and fashion development and management capabilities. Kaledo Collection, the foundation of the suite, is a forum that unites business, creative, marketing and management teams in order to collaborate in the development of trends and collections. In addition, the suite comprises the Kaledo Textile modules which are used to simulate realistic prints, knits, and woven fabrics. Designers must have at their disposal tools which allow them to visualize the interplay of colours, surface design, and structure when designing fabrics. They also need to be able to draw on the expertise of others when developing collections in order to produce ranges that are technically feasible and cost-effective. Team collaboration early in the process allows designers to create a more cohesive collection that responds better to the market’s demands and will therefore lead to better sell-through. As a result, companies can reduce their time-to-market, capitalize on design-related investments, and produce more innovative products in keeping with brand and marketing objectives.
Modaris: Pattern-making Solution for the Apparel Industry
Modaris has been the industry standard for more than 15 years and is used by the biggest names in fashion worldwide. Modaris (V6R1) offers even greater productivity, quality, and innovation for apparel industry professionals. Modaris V6R1’s powerful construction tools allow apparel professionals to develop more patterns in less time and to accelerate collection renewal in stores. With this solution, the number of physical prototypes necessary for the finalization and validation of models could be reduced, and initial production runs could be made sooner and at reduced costs. Its high-performance capacities for all-size grading would guarantee the quality and fit of garments and permit companies to optimize the development of new models and collections by drawing on existing elements.
Vector: New Specialist Models for Cutting Rooms
The VectorTechTex FX Extended has been designed to meet the needs of companies cutting very long pieces in composite materials, such as blades for wind turbines and helicopter rotors. It could, as Lectra say, offer an increase in productivity of up to 20% when cutting long pieces compared with the standard VectorTechTex cutters. Able to cut pieces up to 4.2 m long and 2.5 cm thick, this model could also be fitted with an inkjet printer to ensure the traceability of cut pieces, and is therefore perfectly able to fulfil the stringent requirements of aerospace industries.
The VectorFashion FX Extended has been designed especially for fashion industry professionals cutting luxury suits, a sector which requires lengths to be cut in a single movement in order to achieve a very high level of precision. When used in conjunction with the Mosaïc option, this model is, as Lectra puts it, “perfect for performing one of the most difficult tasks within the industry – processing patterned fabrics which have to match, such as stripes and checks.”
