The requirement of polyester filament yarn (PFY) is increasing as it is the chief substitute for cotton. Cotton’s low availability, durability and cost are its limitations, while polyester is its cheapest replacement with ample availability, relatively good durability and its applicability for ever increasing purposes, said the head of Supertex Industries.
“It is estimated that the per capita consumption of polyester is likely to increase many folds in the developing world,” said Mahesh Sharma, director, Supertex Industries Limited while speaking to Fibre2Fashion. The company manufactures and exports draw warped and sized yarn beams of polyester and nylon.
There are two segments to the PFY industry. One is partially oriented yarn (POY) which requires further processing in a desired way, and the other is fully drawn yarn (FDY). The FDY is an improvement on the earlier two processes of drawing of yarn. In FDY, the produced yarn can be directly consumed or consumed after processes like twisting, sizing, etc, explained Sharma.
Talking about the latest innovations taking place in the industry, he said, “FDY producing technology was not up to the mark compared to the drawn yarn of similar specification on post spinning machines. This is constantly improving and the two are interchangeable in a majority of the uses. Similarly, dyeing by infusion of masterbatch has become far more superior than earlier. There are other developments like high tenacity yarns, fire retardant yarns and also anti-microbial yarns.”
The challenges faced by the industry include volatile oil prices cause instability in the industry, added Sharma. “Having stayed in the unorganised sector for ages, the weaving industry is limping very slowly into the new era of GST. This slow migration has a pronounced impact on the entire business. Money supply is under constant strain and with the banking industry in its current shape, the industry is facing many issues that will take another quarter to be sorted out.”

Sharma also said that Supertex is inclined towards growth. “We do not want to lose our identity of a boutique company, but want to broadbase our activities by integrating more processes that can buttress our profitability.”

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