Financial Times

Top Sri Lankan develops thread-less sewing machines
By Anjuli Gunaratne
His company began by designing and manufacturing equipment for the clothing, motorcar and electronic industry. He was the first to come up with the concept of Stitchless Technology in the garment industry. He created his own brand of outerwear called Keela. He was involved in designing special machines to seal the first hot air balloon that went around the world.

Who is this individual who has reached such phenomenal heights? "I'm proud to be a Sri Lankan," says media-shy Rube Fernando whose company sells machines to 64 countries and has won many major contracts in garment technology. Project Tantalus is one of them; it is a special clothing project, which involves designing and manufacturing clothing for the Special Forces of the British Ministry of Defense.

Another is developing protective suits for fire fighters. A new twin membrane system has been developed which keeps the fire fighter dry and comfortable inside even in a temperature of 500 degrees centigrade. Currently his company is researching material and construction techniques to improve the flexibility and weight of ballistic and bulletproof body armour.The Company has also produced machines for BMW to make the seats and dashboard.

Fernando, who lives in Britain, together with Ricky Anderson established Ardmel Automation (UK) Ltd in 1974. Since then the company has been designing and manufacturing equipment for the clothing, motorcar and electronic industry. The company was responsible for a process of waterproofing seams in waterproof garments using tape-sealing machinery that achieved a world market share.

The British Ministry of Defense approved the technique and equipment, giving the company a major break and much success in later endeavors. Ardmel Automation held a private viewing of its specialist machinery at the Galle Face Hotel on September 10. Its purpose was to introduce Stitchless Technology to the garment industry. If one thinks conventionally, it is impossible to understand how garments can be sewn without thread, but Fernando has changed that conventional way of thinking completely.

"The development of bonding techniques and Ultrasonic processes will give designers the freedom to come up with a whole new concept of designing clothes because it involves no stitching whatsoever," noted Arlene Kidd, Marketing Manager of Ardmel Automation. Fernando came up with the concept of seam sealing and designed the first taping machine that did not use glue and emit toxic fumes, she added. The technology has been sold to only a few companies, mostly foreign. "There is only one factory in Sri Lanka that uses Stitchless Technology," said Kidd. It is an outerwear factory owned by Fernando called Rainwear - located in the Biyagama Free Trade Zone - and it uses ultrasonic and bonding techniques to manufacture outerwear that is light in weight, she added.

"Fernando is a true Sri Lankan," said Kidd smiling. He has lived in Britain for so long, yet he refuses to get citizenship there and keeps coming to Sri Lanka to renew his visa, she added. Fernando says his roots are here, that's " why I wanted to exhibit these machines for the first time in Sri Lanka before I did anywhere else in the world."

When asked what he sees in the future for the garment industry in Sri Lanka he said, "Unless Sri Lanka starts taking on more challenges to improve the production of garments China will take over. We cannot depend on volume orders, someday I hope to produce some of the machinery in Sri Lanka," he added.

At the exhibition there were demonstrations on how the system of Stitchless Technology worked. It was done by the work of three machines. The first machine was the Ultraseamer, which is similar to a sewing machine. The major difference between the sewing machine and the Ultraseamer is that the Ultraseamer doesn't use thread to join fabric; instead it uses a tape to bond the fibers of the fabric together.

Since the garment produced is absolutely seamless it guarantees 100 percent comfort to the wearer. Solomon's Sportswear in the UK is already using this technique to make swimwear that is practical and comfortable. Surf shorts have benefited from this technology immensely. In the past sand, suntan lotion, salt and board wax would collect in the stitched seam of the shorts making it rub against the skin and cause various irritations, but now this problem has been solved with Stitchless Technology.

The second stage of the process involves applying a narrow tape to the back of the fabric using the Mk7 Seam Sealer. The tape can be either a contrasting colour to the fabric of the same colour. In the case of the latter, the tape is almost invisible.

Ultrasonic Cutters are used to create clean bonded edged shapes with the garment. High Pressure Membrane Presses are used to penetrate the textile adhesives through the fibers of the fabric and bond it. "This technology creates garments that are lighter in weight", said Kidd. This is especially useful for outerwear garments, she added.

This technology is now being used to make t-shirts. "People wash and wear t-shirts very often", said Kidd. With this new technology "we" overcome the problem of stitches breaking, making the t-shirts more durable, she added. This is only the beginning for Stitchless Technology. Thanks to Fernando, designers can go beyond the limits set by conventional stitching with a needle and thread. They can really let their imagination run wild. Fifty years from now who knows what types of clothing designers will be able to create using this technology? The possibilities are limitless.

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