Picanol India is closely associated with its customers not for selling of machines alone but for something much beyond. In fact, the whole process starts only after the machine sale. The optimum customer satisfaction level is what counts most for Picanol India, according to Mr. P. Kasiviswanathan, Head of Indian Operations of Picanol.
Outlining Picanol India’s overall policy, Mr. Kasiviswanathan told The Textile Magazine Correspondent that in the ever-growing and changing market scenario, it is important to supply machines to the customer who can not only cope with the periodic changes in technology but is able to adapt himself by having the most versatile looms. The company has worked out various solutions for benefiting customers after thorough discussions with them at the global level. It has also adopted a three-pronged strategy for its Technical & Service Support Division – delivery of quality original parts to the customer on time, providing timely services, and giving upgrades / weave-up packages with which customers weave articles hitherto found impossible.
He explained that the company has already achieved 95 per cent customer satisfaction level by executing orders for spares on the same day, thanks to the dedicated customer service representative stationed in Delhi. Further, follow-up action with the head office in Belgium enables timely delivery of parts.
The representative regional offices in Mumbai and Coimbatore, apart from the main office in Delhi, pay cent per cent attention to customer calls. The Ahmedabad service team is over and above team for Gujarat region three dedicated residential service engineers.
Customers who look for solution by purchasing Picanol looms expect that they would be able to weave the maximum range of fabrics. For instance, a customer who buys an airjet loom for making suitings starts receiving more and more orders for shirtings. In the last 12 months, some of the top corporates have gone in for such conversions.
According to Mr. Kasiviswanathan, it has always been the Picanol Group philosophy to keep investing on research and development. This is one of the reasons why many of the Picanol customers prefer upgrades of their systems with the company’s brand machines.
Airjet weaving machine
Picanol’s Adaptive Relay Valve Drive (ARVD) for OMNIplus and OMNIplus 800 automatically adapts the opening and closing time of the relay nozzle valves to the behavior and air-friendliness of the filling yarn. This helps save 15 per cent in air consumption. The new D-type relay nozzle has 16 holes instead of 19. This makes it more efficient for the same air pressure.
Explaining the functioning and benefits of the other different systems, Mr. Kasiviswanathan said the air index tester has become an important decision parameter, besides strength, irregularity, etc., of weft yarns, as it directly affects weaving efficiency and air consumption. The airflow meter (for PAT, Delta, Omni, OMNIplus and OMNIplus 800) is a tool that allows the weaver to measure air consumption of the loom.
AirMaster (for OMNIplus and OMNIplus 800) is a software module which facilitates air consumption measurement as well as leakage and clogging the detection. It processes the information from an electronic air consumption meter. The chimney stretch nozzle (for PAT, Delta, Omni and OMNIplus and OMNIplus 800) prevents filling yarn loops or lashing-in on the right-hand side of the fabric with excessive contraction of the filling tip at the end of insertion. Clamp on the movable main nozzle (for OMNIplus, OMNIplus 800) clamps the filling yarn when it is not being inserted. It further eliminates the need for low continuous airflow, as also blown-off filling yarn tips.
As for the double pressure roller (for Omni and OMNIplus), the instrument provides better grip of the sand roller onto the fabric and improves control of fabric take-up. It is extremely useful for weaving of heavy fabrics.
He said the Picanol Catching Device (PCD) mechanically catches holds and stretches the filling yarn as it is. This is done by means of two air-controlled plungers; one plunger for clamping and holding and the other for tensioning and stretching. The device itself is located on the right end of the reed, next to the weft sensor and waste yarns.
The Picanol Pattern Editor (PPE) enables the customer to create, edit and view pattern designs in a very user-friendly way on his PC. While, the relay nozzle calibrator kit for airjet weaving machines is for fine-tuning the amount of the air and the direction of the airflow, the relay nozzle valve maintenance kit makes it possible to repair valves instead of replacing them with new ones.
Rapier weaving machines
In case the customer wants a change to poly viscose / wool suitings from cotton, Picanol has recommended conversion to free flight grippers (for Gamma GH and GamMax). The rapier tape is no longer guided by hooks, so the warp yarns cannot be damaged by the hooks diving into them anymore.
Mr. Kasiviswanathan further explained that the double pressure roller (for Gamma and GamMax) provides better grip of the sand roller onto the fabric and improves control of fabric take-up. This is especially useful while weaving heavy fabrics. If the customer wants to move to more elastic yarn, it would be better to take up electronic right gripper opener II (ERGO II) for accurate control of the insertion, with less filling waste and fewer filling stops. This is particularly useful while mixing different yarn counts or for elastic yarns.
When the customer wants to weave heavy cover factor or high density fabric, the company suggestion is adoption of full-width temple (for all Picanol machines without tucking in). The company’s programmable filling tensioner lamellae (PFL) ensures correct yarn tension at any time during the insertion and reduces the number of filling stops. This also ensures improved tape life.
Picanol’s rapier tape lubrication kit (for GTM, GTM AS, GTX, Gamma and GamMax) extends the life of the rapier wheels and tapes at an affordable price. For reduced maintenance cost, the recommendation would be upgradation from RPT to PX sensor technology at an attractive package price.
Mr. Kasiviswanathan disclosed that several company customers have opted for these upgrades to achieve benefits like improved lifetime, lower spareparts consumption, less quality problems, higher weaving flexibility and increased machine performance.
When customers approach Picanol India team, their problems are attended to and solution offered immediately. The company has been successful in creating awareness among customers by providing in-plant training, so that the technician’s confidence level is increased for handling of machines, he added.