Lectra's 4th International Education Congress Honors Collaborative Work, Design, and 3D Technologies

Annual congress illustrates Lectra’s firm commitment to the world of education and helps reinforce the link between fashion professionals and schools.

Paris– Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials — textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composites materials — held its fourth education congress in Cestas (France) on November 17 and 18, 2011. Lectra’s 2011 education congress welcomed 40 professors, education coordinators, department heads, and directors of 22 fashion schools and universities from Germany, Brazil, Canada, China, the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Great Britain, and Switzerland. This year, it was organized around three major themes: collaborative work, design, and 3D as applied to the fashion industry.

“This annual congress is an enriching time for sharing and exchanging and is the high point of the projects established by Lectra specifically for its Privilege partners. It is part of a comprehensive approach to providing active support to education which, throughout the year, translates into strong involvement and concrete action with our 850 schools and university partners,” says Executive Committee member Véronique Zoccoletto, in charge of the Education Program.

Collaborative work, a new major stake for fashion companies and schools

Fashion companies are constantly seeking new solutions allowing them to reduce their costs, guarantee the quality of their products, and ensure faster time-to-market for their collections. Collaborative work has become a key element over the past few years in achieving these objectives. This subject has thus become increasingly important for schools and universities, which must sensitize their students to this new way of working and communicating, and to the tools that support it.

During the congress, Allison Smith, project manager at Façonnable, the renowned French brand that specializes in top-of-the-range ready-to-wear for men and women, underlined the importance of sharing information company-wide in real time, to be able to develop collections quickly and to increase efficiency and competitiveness.

Cynthia Istook, professor and director of undergraduate programs in fashion at North Carolina State University, explained how her students share information especially by using solutions like Kaledo®, Lectra’s design software suite dedicated to the world of fashion. This university has also just acquired the Lectra Fashion PLM solution for its fashion and textile department in order to set up a collaborative environment which reflects that of the company in general.

Design: more than ever a core concern for fashion schools

The creative process was also highlighted by Francine Pairon, director of the Master’s program for fashion and accessory design at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM). She explained how design constantly plays the edge between freedom and constraint, illustrating her point with work done by her students.

Craig Tudhope, CAD manager at American Eagle, emphasized the added value provided by Kaledo, which allows his design team to produce an increasing number of styles and fabrics (prints, knits, etc.) in record time.

Pattern design and 3D virtual prototyping: an innovation/major technical advance for fashion schools and businesses

3D technologies for fashion were also a subject of exchange among participants who were thus able to capitalize on the expertise of schools that have already integrated 3D virtual prototyping into their courses.

Sandra Kuijpers and Ineke Siersema, both teachers at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, presented the work their students did for a competition on 3D virtual prototyping organized by their institution and Lectra. These creations convinced the participants that 3D technologies presented a real advantage for designers and pattern-making departments. This discussion highlighted the value of Modaris® V7, Lectra’s pattern-making and 3D virtual prototyping solution.

Lectra's education congress: an anticipated annual event and an enriching opportunity to share experiences

A place for the exchange of experience and expertise, the education congress has also allowed many schools to present their educational programs, including De Monfort University (United Kingdom), which has developed a course dedicated entirely to lingerie and undergarments, and Studio Moda Rossella (Italy) which has placed technology at the center of its development process.

Patrick Hierf, pedagogical coordinator for the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (France), revealed the school’s new directions: “A year ago, our institution reinforced its study program by turning to the expertise of fashion professionals and by increased our use of Lectra’s new technologies. This gives our students a closer link to business and allows them to be more effective as soon as they enter the work force.”

NIFT and Lectra Take a New Step by signing the first Education Privilege Partnership in India

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials—, is pleased to announce the signature of a Privilege Partnership with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), one of the most eminent Fashion Institutes in India which regroups 13 centres. This new partnership—, includes NIFT in a select group of the best Fashion schools in the world.

The relationship between Lectra and NIFT started over 15 years ago, ever since NIFT installed India’s first CAD solutions in Delhi to equip the future professionals and expose industry the world’s best practices of the Fashion industry.

The relationship has been constantly reinforced till then and today, NIFT has extended Lectra solutions teaching to its 13 centers (New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Raebareli, Bhopal, Kannur, Patna, Shillong and Kangra) and is equipped with 1300 licenses of Modaris® & Diamino®, Lectra’s advanced pattern and marker making solutions.

“We are very proud to sign the first Privilege partnership in India with NIFT, one of the best Fashion Schools of the country which has set high academic standards,” says Prashanth L J, Managing Director, Lectra India. “Our partnership demonstrates our common desire to support Indian fashion industry by providing high quality education programs to students.”

The Privilege partnership is based on strong, long-term, mutual agreement, so both parties benefit from the co-operation. It allows the schools to access to high-end technology developed by Lectra, but also comprises an approach focused on the development of common projects, such as conferences, internships, support for students and shared information related to best industrial practices.

NIFT: a combination between technology and tradition

National Institute of Fashion Technology, set up in 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India has emerged as the premier Institute of Design, Management and Technology, developing professionals for taking up leadership positions in fashion business in the emerging global scenario. NIFT has set academic standards and excelled in though leadership by providing a pool of creative genius and technically competent professionals.

The institute provides a common platform for fashion education, research and training and offers 7 fashion-focused graduation courses, 3 post graduate courses and PhD program. NIFT is a pioneer in envisioning and evolving fashion business education in the country through a network of thirteen professionally managed domestic centres.

“For NIFT, this new Privilege status is extremely strategic, since it amplifies a relationship with Lectra, a company that is a reference in technology and has a global market presence. The signature of this partnership will help us to reinforce our collaboration and to bring added-value expertise to our students who will be able to stay at the forefront of technology,” adds Dean, Senior Professor Banhi Jha.

National Institute of Fashion Technology was set up in 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It has emerged as the premier Institute of Design, Management and Technology, developing professionals for taking up leadership positions in fashion business in the emerging global scenario. The Institute is a pioneer in envisioning and evolving fashion business education in the country through a network of fifteen professionally managed centres at Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gandinagar, Hyderabad, Jodphur, Kangra, Kannur, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Patna, Raebareli and Shillong. The institute provides a common platform for fashion education, research and training. NIFT Act 2006 published in the Gazette of India on 14th July, 2006 confers Statutory Status on NIFT and empowers the institute to award degrees and other academic distinctions. NIFT is the first premier Institute in the world to award it’s own Degrees in the field of fashion education.

LECTRA announces a successful PLM implementation at La Jolla Group

Lectra announces a successful PLM implementation at La Jolla Group Lectra Fashion PLM brings creativity and control to design and development at action sports giant, La Jolla Group Paris, November 7, 2011 - Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials-textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, and composite materials-is pleased to announce the successful implementation of Lectra Fashion PLM at La Jolla Group. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, La Jolla Group, Inc. (LJG) is one of the world's biggest producers of surf, skate, motocross, and youth lifestyle apparel, whose portfolio includes iconic brands such as O'Neill Clothing USA, Rusty Clothing and Metal Mulisha Clothing.

"After an extensive amount of PLM market research and a seamless integration, La Jolla Group has finally found and deployed the solution that will take the process of product development and lifecycle management to the next level," said Josh Wellington, Chief Operating Officer, LJG. "An apparel-centric PLM that understands and compliments the nuances of our industry has finally arrived."

Before adopting Lectra Fashion PLM, La Jolla Group used a system of spreadsheets that required manual data entry and updating, and left some departments such as design and merchandising feeling disconnected from the development process. Recognizing these frustrations, La Jolla Group sought a solution and chose Lectra for its mastery of the fashion-specific development process, including Lectra's understanding of the art of design.

"The apparel-centric user interface addresses issues experienced in other PLM offerings by being more of a design environment, rather than having a rigid 'engineering' feel," added Wellington. "It allows for the design cycle to have a single consolidated dataset and has helped LJG move away from disparate data and manual processes."

Lectra Fashion PLM fits seamlessly into La Jolla Group's Macintosh-based design environment. A visual user setting with image libraries and a hassle-free bill of materials facilitated adoption by all teams, including design. Designers now easily communicate styles and trends but also have total control over pre-costing, helping to ensure that budgets and production constraints are respected. By aligning the entire team globally and giving members lifecycle control over design, pattern making, merchandising, sourcing, production, and printables, deadlines are no longer simply a suggestion, but are now an achievable reality.

"Given their emphasis on design and quality and the challenges that the outdoor lifestyle market presents, we were confident that Lectra Fashion PLM could bring La Jolla Group benefits such as greater control over delivery and cost, two fundamental components to being competitive in the surf and sportswear markets," said Roy Shurling, President of Lectra North America. "After more than 35 years in the fashion business, we understand how challenging it can be to pull teams together and focus on business fundamentals, while also respecting creativity."

The La Jolla Group team was particularly impressed with Lectra's Professional Service team and their ability to implement quickly, while staying focused on important details. Scott Fitzpatrick, La Jolla Group's Director of Business Intelligence who supported the project added, "Lectra's multi-disciplinary team was always on top of making sure we continued to push towards the next steps in the project scope to ensure we wouldn't miss deadlines and get the project going. This was key."

The initial project was implemented ahead of schedule. La Jolla Group was so pleased with the results that the scope was recently expanded to include their entire portfolio of brands and supplier base.

Lectra to Participate at WINDPOWER and SAMPE 2011

Lectra Showcases Latest Innovations for Automating Development and Production of Composite Applications.

CYPRESS, CA - Lectra will showcase its complete and integrated suite of solutions dedicated to the manufacturing of industrial fabrics for the wind energy and composite applications at the WINDPOWER 2011 and SAMPE 2011 shows, occurring simultaneously in Southern California.

The WINDPOWER 2011 Conference & Exhibition, held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, May 22 - 25, is North America's largest wind energy industry event of the year and expects over 20,000 wind energy professionals to attend. Lectra will exhibit at Booth #1077.SAMPE 2011 will be held at Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California, May 24 - 26, offering a real-world approach to advancements and applications in the field of materials and processes. Lectra will exhibit at Booth #1531.

At both events Lectra will demonstrate its dedicated CAD/CAM solutions for automating wind blade and composites development, as well as, production for industrial fabrics and composite materials. Solutions will include DesignConcept, VectorTechTex and the latest release of Diamino® for improved material consumption.

DesignConcept is Lectra's 3D/2D conception and industrialization solution dedicated to advanced materials. Based on Lectra's solid experience in industrial manufacturing solutions, this application provides powerful tools to facilitate the analysis of product feasibility, finished product quality, and cost, thus enabling companies to make key decisions in the product development phase and thereby reduce time to market and minimize costs.

At the heart of Lectra's intelligent cutting room offer, the Vector® automated cutter achieves maximum productivity and material savings when connected with Lectra's planning, nesting and spreading solutions. The Vector provides unmatched productivity, flexibility and precision, adapted to all end products, including complex composite materials.

Enhancing Lectra's dedicated solution, the recently announced Diamino V5R4, introduces new enhancements for manufacturers seeking simplicity, speed, and efficiency in marker-making and material consumption optimization activities, during the costing, prototyping, and production phases. Diamino V5R4 optimizes material consumption at the development and production stages by using two different methods depending on the material to be cut and the complexity of the model; and simplifies collaboration between a company's various internal and external contributors by offering direct access to new export interfaces for HP-GL and Cutfile, and the newly integrated DXF format, widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries.

According to Roy Shurling, President for Lectra North America, "In today's global economy events happening around the world such as rising prices of materials and energy, political unrest and natural disasters all have an impact on local product and cost. We realize the challenges facing the wind energy and composites industries and with Lectra's solutions we can help address those challenges and minimize costs while streamlining processes."

Lectra releases new Leather Suite V3R1

Paris – Lectra has announced the release of the new Leather Suite V3R1, specially designed for leather cutting and aimed at manufacturers in the automotive and furniture markets. This new software suite integrated into Lectra’s leather cutting solutions significantly improves profitability for companies that use leather, while also offering a large number of new features. Combined with its service contract, it provides unprecedented added value for Lectra’s customers and a rapid return on investment.

Demand in the global leather market, both in the automotive and furniture sectors, has grown significantly, particularly in emerging countries. Manufacturers are currently experiencing a strong recovery in orders, but they must also cope with a 50 to 100% increase in the price of raw leather since 2009.

“In a context where the price of raw materials often accounts for up to 50% of the production cost of the finished product and competitive pressure is particularly strong, companies in the leather markets have two key levers: material savings and productivity,” declared Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “With its complete range of solutions for the leather cutting room, Lectra enables manufacturers to optimize their manufacturing processes—both for mass production and small runs. They can thus improve productivity and cut material consumption, while guaranteeing high-quality finished products. The permanent remote assistance and preventive maintenance plans included in Lectra’s service contracts also contribute to the overall optimization of their cutting rooms.”

A decisive step forward in nesting performance and material savings

Lectra’s Leather Suite V3R1 software enables manufacturers to make concrete, measurable material savings of up to 3.5% in automated mode compared with the previous version. Optimized algorithms for nesting and placing difficult parts, coupled with significantly more intuitive and automated functions, makes for a major contribution in enhancing the overall performance of manufacturers in the leather industries. For example, an automotive subcontractor processing standard leathers in two 8-hour shifts, five days a week, with Lectra’s CLS Auto leather cutter would see an additional €100,000 in material savings each year. The leather saved would have a particularly large impact on its production cost and a significant impact on its income statement.

Delivers the productivity and flexibility required by manufacturers in the leather industries

Regardless of the market, improving productivity in preparing leathers is a constant priority for manufacturers. With the new V3R1 software suite, the calculation time needed to work out the best marker has been reduced by 30%. This is due not only to the efficiency of the nesting algorithms, but also to the performance of the whole solution, which now has powerful new processors integrated into the systems that control the cutting machines.

Another new feature that should significantly enhance manufacturers’ productivity is the integration of Lectra’s new operating pilot software, which comes from a technology already available on the Vector® range, into Lectra’s leather cutting solutions. For the numerous companies working with separate equipment specific to leather or fabrics, this innovation will provide a more uniform experience of operating Lectra cutting machines. Any operator trained on Lectra’s fabric cutting machines can easily work on equipment specially designed for leather, without switching to a new software environment. Leather industry manufacturers will now have a considerable advantage in terms of flexibility and versatility, enabling them to adapt easily to fluctuations in demand, while benefiting from new features that allow them to improve cut quality and enhance production performance.

An efficient solution for optimizing cutting room management and analysis

Lectra’s V3R1 software suite also allows manufacturers to significantly improve the management and analysis of their cutting room performance through a completely revised reporting and monitoring module. This upgrade will not only enable them to analyze production data in depth, but also to check—prior to the cutting process—that supplier specifications have been followed (leather quality, production cost per type of supplier over different periods, etc.).

Lectra Appoints Adriana Vono Papavero as Managing Director for South America

Paris – Lectra has announced the appointment of Adriana Vono Papavero as Managing Director of Lectra South America. Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Adriana Vono Papavero will report directly to Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. She replaces Edouard Macquin, who was recently promoted to Worldwide Director of Sales for Lectra.

Lectra started operations in Brazil in the late 1980s. Now, twenty years later, the company has offices in Brazil (São Paulo and Blumenau) and Chile (Santiago), as well as a network of agents across South America. The Brazilian subsidiary counts over 1,200 customers and experienced an impressive growth rate that prevailed even through the 2008–2009 worldwide financial crisis.

“A decade ago you could say there was a huge technological gap between South American companies and those based in Europe and the U.S. Today, this gap still exists, but it is much smaller. And we have examples of companies in our region that, with the help of state-of-the-art solutions, are actually leading their industries, As competitiveness peaks, those companies will feel the need to invest more not only in new cutting systems and software solutions, but also in the expertise and services necessary to guarantee maximization of their existing resources. Very high quality solutions and a team of experts with in-depth knowledge of industry best practices are Lectra’s keys for providing top quality professional services that highly improve customer processes,” said Adriana Vono Papavero.

“Adriana’s background and experience will help Lectra’s South American subsidiary leverage its impressive pool of knowledge and offer strong support to an increasing range of companies in South America. Lectra’s team is enjoying unprecedented activity in the entire region, but particularly in Brazil and Argentina. Our potential in South America today is higher than ever,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

“Being part of Lectra at this crucial time is both exciting and challenging,” added Adriana Vono Papavero. “The new developments in design, product engineering, and manufacturing solutions we are about to launch only add to that. In the coming years, we will strive for even stronger relationships with our customers as we assume our role as committed partner supporting growth, improving quality, and delivering value.” Adriana Vono Papavero holds an MBA in Marketing from ESPM, Brazil’s foremost marketing school. She worked previously for Lectra from 2000 to 2007, acting as Marketing Manager and Sales Account Manager.

Before returning to Lectra, Adriana was Sales Director for South America at WGSN, the online trend and research analysis provider. Adriana has more than 10 years’ experience with fashion and design-oriented companies and now returns to Lectra at a particularly successful moment for the company. Recovery from the global crisis has exceeded expectations and proven once again the strength of Lectra’s business model, which has enabled the group as a whole to emerge stronger than ever from recent worldwide financial difficulties.

Lectra releases Vector TechTex FX 100

New cutting solution for industrial fabrics and composite materials.

Paris – Lectrahas announced the release of its new VectorTechTex FX 100 cutting solution for industrial fabrics and composite materials.

This new solution enables companies to cut wide pieces and meets the needs of professionals looking to diversify their offer by covering a broader spectrum of applications. In a tense economic context, in which companies must confront significant changes in their activities and business environment, VectorTechTex FX 100 helps ensure greater flexibility and contributes to increased profitability. "The ability to process a wide variety of industrial fabrics with a single, unique cutting solution is now essential to the survival of many companies. By extending the range of possible activities open to them with the VectorTechTex FX 100, these companies will be able to target new markets and, consequently, limit the risks tied to a decrease in volumes," said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

VectorTechTex FX 100 is the most advanced solution available to deliver the flexibility required by professionals working with industrial fabrics and composites. Adaptable and reliable, it is particularly well-suited to short runs and tight production deadlines. By allowing for wider cuts (up to 2.54 meters), VectorTechTex FX 100 stands out from the competition as it can process a wider variety of pieces, all of varying sizes and shapes, while limiting fabric scraps. Material consumption is thus optimized. This cutting solution broadens Lectra’s VectorTechTex FX range by considerably extending the variety of materials that can be handled, from pre-preg carbon fiber to multi-layer cutting of dry materials such as fiberglass and honeycomb fabric.

With VectorTechTex FX 100, manufacturers and subcontractors can enter new markets under optimal conditions for profitability, thereby enlarging their order portfolio, thanks to a solution that meets all their needs.

Securing the cutting process: an essential requirement

The VectorTechTex FX 100 meets rigorous safety criteria. It is perfectly adapted to meet the stringent safety requirements that professionals in industrial fabrics and composite materials may face due to the hazards created by certain materials used. In particular, it integrates a new feature to vacuum away dust produced during cutting, greatly reducing the dispersal of particles that may affect the health of operators and limiting the impact on both the environment and the equipment.

Reducing electricity consumption

The VectorTechTex FX range also enables professionals in industrial fabrics and composites to reduce their energy consumption by 20 to 30% in comparison with standard cutters on the market. Lectra’s "Energy Saver" system helps to minimize energy usage by changing the machine’s vacuum power during cutting as needed and according to the fabric processed.

Ensuring maximum availability

Even more than in other fields of activity, for industrial fabrics and composites professionals, the availability of cutting solutions is crucial.

Some materials, such as the pre-preg composites used particularly in aeronautics, require pre- or postcut treatments that involve just-in-time production processes. The manufacturing of parts, which demands immediate cutting, must occur on a very precise production schedule, which rules out any delays. Machine malfunction that slows—or indeed stops—this process would risk altering the properties of the materials, leading to serious consequences that could greatly penalize production. The availability—or up time—of their production system is therefore critical for manufacturers, especially since some experience large fluctuations in their production volumes. They must be able to trust that their cutting system will be fully operational whenever it is needed.

Lectra associates its Vector® cutting solutions with a full range of services to optimize customers’ operations. Lectra’s preventive maintenance plans and service contracts provide continuous, remote assistance. These include monitoring the production tool in real time, looking at such elements as state of operation, and wear on parts and consumables.

Through numerous sensors integrated into Vector cutting solutions, data is quickly received and analyzed by Lectra’s specialists, enabling them to take the necessary action and/or begin an intervention by taking remote control of equipment. In this way, 67% of cases are resolved almost immediately, without the on-site intervention of a technician, which ensures minimum repair times and maximum equipment up time.

Combined with its reliable VectorTechTex FX solutions, Lectra’s effective and high-quality services provide manufacturers with a record availability rate of 98%, which secures the production process and improves return on investment.

Lectra to Attend 2010 National Correctional Industries Association Conference

ATLANTA, GA - Lectra has announced its participation in the Enterprise 2010 National Training Conference, March 21 - 24, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference brings together professionals from corrections industries across the United States to educate the field on emerging technology, sales and marketing techniques, reentry strategies, the legislative climate, and success stories in the industry.

The National Correctional Industries Association (NCIA) is an international nonprofit professional association whose members represent all 50 state correctional industry agencies, Federal Prison Industries, foreign correctional industry agencies and city/county jail industry programs. Lectra works with correctional industries throughout the US to supply them with their state-of-the-art product development and innovative cutting solutions and to train inmates how to use these technologies, so they can learn useful skills to better prepare them for reentry. The use of Lectra cutting room solutions at these facilities enables inmates to make a contribution to society, help offset the cost of their incarceration, compensate crime victims, and support their families as well as reduce prison idleness, increase inmate job skills, and improve the prospects for successful inmate transition to the community upon release.

"Lectra is pleased to work with national correctional agencies across the US who use our technology to prepare inmates for the workforce," says Roy Shurling, President for Lectra North America. "The use of Lectra solutions at these facilities allows inmates to acquire marketable skills to increase their potential for successful rehabilitation and meaningful employment."

Several correctional facilities in the US use various Lectra technologies from their intelligent pattern and marker making solutions -- Modaris®, Diamino® to Optiplan® along with the Vector® -- the most advanced flexible, digitally-controlled cutting solution.

Lectra Complete Development and Intelligent Cutting Room Offering

Lectra's industry-standard and leading-edge pattern-making and marker-making solutions, Modaris and Diamino, allow for the creation, development, verification, industrialization and grading of patterns faster, and with flawless quality, while allowing automatic generation of markers that respect all fabric and garment constraints from the simplest to the most complex shapes.

Optiplan is Lectra's cut order planning and optimization solution to simulate costs and plan for new production cycles. It enables companies to take control of fabric stocks, as well as take into account the availability of raw materials across multiple locations. A true cutting-room control tower, it integrates the different steps of cut-order planning in a unique process to give precise instructions and accurate information for improved decision making. Optiplan allows production managers to select the most efficient markers, propose alternate solutions, simulate costs and anticipate new production orders. From material management flow to marker selection, spreading and cutting, each decision is optimized to considerably maximize cost accuracy and dramatically increase efficiency.

At the heart of Lectra's complete, intelligent cutting room offer, the Vector automated cutters achieve maximum productivity and material savings when connected with Lectra's added-value solutions. The Vector provides unmatched productivity, flexibility and precision, adapted to all end products, including the most intricate lingerie models to the thickest materials such as denim.

At the NCIA Conference, Lectra will explore the entire range of dedicated CAD/CAM solutions for streamlining and optimizing product development through the cutting room.

Lectra Showcases Lean Manufacturing With Dedicated Software and Cutting Solutions at COMPOSITES 2010

ATLANTA, GA - Lectra, a provider of integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials -- textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials -- is pleased to announce its participation in the Composites 2010 conference. Held in Las Vegas, February 9 - 11, the show brings together thousands of professionals in the composites industry, who will find information on everything from basic materials to cutting-edge technology. Lectra will exhibit at Booth #845.

In addition to showcasing its DesignConcept® software solution -- which allows for the creation of complex models, feasibility analysis, flattening of 3D models to 2D patterns and cost estimation -- Lectra will exhibit its suite of intelligent cutting room solutions featuring the Vector® for automated, single and multi-ply cutting.

A complete and integrated offer dedicated to the processing of composite materials.

Today, all composite manufacturers have one thing in common, namely their need to produce a wide range of products with a very high level of precision. Ever-tighter shipment deadlines and costs control are major strategic challenges. These companies are under constant pressure to minimize material waste and reduce errors. Whether they make Formula 1 cars, wind turbine blades, boat hulls or aircraft components, they have their own specific needs and demand totally dedicated solutions.

All these challenges dictate that these businesses use the most innovative tools and secure processes to achieve success. By offering a truly and complete integrated range of solutions from the creation of 3D models all the way through cutting and smart services, Lectra is the only integrated technology solutions supplier that can offer the composite manufacturers flexibility, accuracy, control and success in their global process. Using a wide scope of proven technologies, Lectra ensures global management of product development through a complete set of applications associated with a value-added service offering.

"The high global demand for composite materials and expanding end user applications are driving an unprecedented era in the industry that dictate that all manufacturers carefully review their processes to remain competitive," said Roy Shurling, President of Lectra North America. "By proposing a complete offering from product design through manufacturing that results from our strong commitment to innovation, Lectra's high performance solutions for the conception, industrialization and cutting of composite materials ensure that our clients are well positioned to meet the needs of this demanding environment."

High performance 3D/2D conception software

Lectra will also present DesignConcept TechTex, its 3D/2D conception and industrialization solution dedicated to advanced materials. Based on Lectra's solid experience in industrial manufacturing solutions, this application provides powerful tools to facilitate the analysis of product feasibility, finished product quality, and cost, thus enabling companies to make key decisions in the product development phase and thereby reduce time to market and minimize costs.

Lectra's cutting solutions: power with intelligence

The entire Lectra range of dedicated cutting solutions for composite materials brings the most advanced response to the production needs of manufacturers working with sophisticated materials. Lectra's range incorporates a suite of cutting solutions for single ply low volume pre-preg materials to high volume multilayer cutting of aramid materials such as fiberglass, Kevlar, Spectre and dry carbon. Lectra supplies cutting solutions based on drag knife, wheel, laser and oscillating knife technology to perfectly meet the challenges of its clients.

At the show, Lectra will present its VectorTechTex FX, which is ideally suited to manufacturers needing to process a variety of materials from pre-preg carbons, to multiple layers of dry materials like fiberglass and even some core materials such as phenolic honeycomb.

Today, cutting precision and traceability are essential for companies processing industrial fabrics and Lectra solutions are perfectly adapted to these constraints. Lectra offers innovative technologies, provides process security, and includes added-value integrated features to ensure maximum performance and production availability.

Lectra and X-Rite/Pantone Sign Partnership Agreement

To Deliver Integrated Color Technology for Enhanced Design Workflow and Seamless Color Communication.

Paris – Lectra has announced the signature of a new partnership agreement with X-Rite, a provider of color management, measurement and communication technologies.

X-Rite, and its subsidiary Pantone, develop, manufacture, market and support innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. They have extensive expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color, which translates to better quality and reduced costs for users in a range of industries.

Lectra and X-Rite will provide fashion companies with a seamless solution for color management—a challenge that many customers face. This partnership will enhance Lectra’s value-added solutions, including Lectra Fashion PLM, the only fashion-specific product lifecycle management solution on the market, Kaledo®, the leading fashion and textile design suite, and Modaris 3D Fit, Lectra’s 3D virtual prototyping application. X-Rite technologies that will be highlighted in Lectra solutions include ColorMunki™, an all-in-one color solution for selecting, creating and controlling new colors and PANTONE® FASHION + HOME color references, and CxF (Color Exchange Format) a file format designed to accurately and unambiguously communicate all commercially relevant aspects of color across devices, applications and geographies. Through the ColorMunki’s compatibility and PANTONE FASHION + HOME directly integrated into these Lectra’s solutions, creative, development and production teams can easily and accurately manage and communicate colors both internally and with external partners and suppliers.

"We are delighted to partner with Lectra to deliver advanced tools in color communication for the fashion design community," said Iris Mangelschots, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, X-Rite. "ColorMunki and Pantone are established standards for brand owners in graphic design for color selection, control and communication. Our partnership with Lectra, a recognized world leader in the fashion design industry, will extend these same benefits to fashion designers in an efficient, integrated way, connecting yet another integral link along the apparel supply chain."

“Color is critical in design, but it is an expensive business that can be very hard to control. Integrating X-Rite and Pantone technology into Lectra’s solutions will provide designers with a tool to enhance the quality and speed of exchanges between design, development and production, while keeping to the company’s original design concept as closely as possible,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

Color is key: overcoming the challenge of capturing, managing and communicating

Close collaboration between Lectra and X-Rite will offer the industry numerous benefits at all stages of fashion and textile development, from conceptual brainstorming and design, to development and production. Finding color inspiration for prints, knits, weaves, trims and other components is always a challenge for designers, especially with the increasingly rapid turnover of fashion trends.

Integrating X-Rite/Pantone technologies directly into Lectra’s fashion solutions will make it far easier for designers to capture and manage color. What’s more, color communication will be greatly facilitated. Designers regularly face the challenge of communicating their chosen color to team members, sub-contractors and professional partners—often scattered throughout the world. Now, the right product in the right color can be presented for sale at the right time.

On trend, on color: far-reaching benefits for the whole development process

Superior color management is now possible for both Lectra’s current and future customers and allows for rapid validation of a color’s feasibility for a specific fabric, reducing the number of lab-dips necessary to develop a product. Because development moves more quickly, the color process becomes more streamlined, allowing for decisions closer to market. Designers then have more flexibility to choose colors that are on-trend while in parallel lowering sampling and production costs. Seasonal color palettes can be shared, so that all merchandising is coherent with the actual collection in progress.

Lectra Appoints Philippe Ribera Group Software Marketing Director, to Support its PLM Strategy

Paris – Lectra has announced the appointment of Philippe Ribera as Software Marketing Director. Based at the company’s headquarters in Paris, Philippe Ribera reports directly to Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

Philippe Ribera is responsible for the definition and implementation of the group's software marketing action plans for all industries. One of his main priorities will be to ensure the success of the company’s Lectra Fashion PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) strategy.

Philippe Ribera's nomination crowns a career spanning more than 20 years with Lectra, where he has held various marketing and sales development posts in France and the USA. From 2004 to 2006, he was Sales Director of Lectra's U.S. subsidiary; since 2008, he has held the position of Marketing Director for France.

“Lectra is the leader in technology solutions specifically created for the fashion industry, as more than 20,000 companies worldwide can confirm. Our strategy aims to accelerate uptake of our Lectra Fashion PLM solution by many customers, whilst remaining faithful to our profession-specific software roots. With his in-depth knowledge of the fashion market and the issues it faces, Philippe is the best person to take up this ambitious challenge, where the stakes for the company are high,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

"Our PLM strategy, based on the integration of the applications necessary to plan, manage, create and develop collections, associated with our value-added offer, will be the cornerstone of Lectra's growth," explained Philippe Ribera. “In line with our desire to support our customers in overcoming their challenges, Lectra is the ideal technology partner. With our Lectra Fashion PLM, we offer a business-oriented approach for the whole value chain, based on best practices acquired over 35 years working with the biggest names in fashion." Specially designed to meet the needs of fashion companies—brands, retailers and manufacturers—Lectra Fashion PLM is a collaborative, modular and scalable solution, unique on the market. With this technology, companies can streamline the complex business of collection lifecycle management and bring teams together, in real time, wherever they are in the world.

Philippe Ribera's expertise is also recognized by his active participation in the work of the International Apparel Federation, a highly-respected organization within national and international fashion and apparel industries. As a member of the Board of Directors, he takes part in the definition of international interoperability standards for technology and is also involved in education issues.

LECTRA : Induyco opposes to the payment of the award rendered by the international arbitral tribunal

PARIS - On October 28, 2009, the Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration notified an award to Lectra and Induyco in an arbitration initiated by Lectra in 2005 against Induyco, the former shareholder of Investrónica Sistemas. The arbitration arose out of Lectra's acquisition of Investrónica Sistemas in 2004. In the award, the international arbitral tribunal awarded Lectra EUR 21.9 million plus interest.

Following notification of the award, Lectra called on two first demand guarantees that were provided by Induyco pursuant to the terms of the share purchase agreement and requested Induyco to pay the full amount of the award plus interest.

Induyco has since obtained in Spain an interim order temporarily suspending operation of the demand guarantees based on a claim that Lectra must recognize and enforce the award in Spain before it can recover any amounts under the guarantees. Induyco has also taken steps in England (where the arbitration took place) to challenge the award. Lectra has not yet been served with a copy of the writ and claim in either the English or Spanish court actions on the merits.

Lectra considers both court actions to be entirely without merit and intends to mount an aggressive and vigorous defense of its rights and recovery of the amounts due to it under the award.

With nearly 1,500 employees worldwide, Lectra is the world leader in software, CAD/CAM equipment and related services specially created for large-scale users of textiles, leather and industrial fabrics. Lectra serves a broad array of major global markets including the fashion (apparel, accessories, and footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), and furniture industries, as well as a wide variety of other sectors, such as the aeronautical and marine industries, wind energy, etc.

Lectra announces the new version of Romans Cad V9

Paris – Lectra has announced the launch of the latest version of Romans Cad®©, its software suite created specially for the footwear, luggage and leather goods industries.

This new version of the solution suite will give manufacturers more room to maneuver as they address the issue of increasing production and development costs, regardless of their profile or geographical location. Companies based in emerging, developing, and Western nations alike, whether they are present locally or internationally, will be able to benefit from all the advantages the solution offers. With Romans Cad V9, manufacturers will also be able to control profit margins and costs, launch new models on the market more frequently (reducing time to market), and improve production quality. The integration of Romans Cad throughout the product creation chain substantially reduces design and production times as well as the number of physical prototypes needed throughout the process. As a result, the time needed to design a new collection can be cut by up to 30%

In a difficult economic climate where costs are increasing and retail prices stagnating or, some cases, falling, manufacturers in the West are trying, above all else, to protect their profit margins. Romans Cad V9 is the perfect solution to this challenge, allowing companies to control costs right from the design stage. The new version of Romans Cad reduces development times, which gives manufacturers the ability to react more quickly to consumer needs and expectations based on trends that follow fashions and the general zeitgeist.

For emerging countries such as China and India—and, to a lesser extent, Russia—the new version of Romans Cad will also offer manufacturers the potential to expand their local market share. It provides all the tools required for the development of product lines and for the creation of a strong and positive brand image, both of which are essential pre-requisites to tackling international markets. In other countries, like Brazil, which is seeing success with its venture into the footwear market, the new version of Romans Cad will enable manufacturers to expand their customer base by designing and manufacturing finished products for export.

"The footwear, luggage and leather goods industries face many challenges at the moment: an increasingly complex product development process, a constant demand for new collections, and multiple design and production sites spread throughout the world," explains Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. "By applying unique and particularly innovative methods that reflect the requirements of manufacturers in this sector, Romans Cad allows them to focus on adding value to models, saving time, and controlling costs."

Romans Cad Data Management: a technical data management system that offers greater flexibility and helps organize and secure collaborative processes

In an industry greatly affected by globalization, access to data, the sharing of information generated during the design of new products, and the use and re-use of previous models cannot be disconnected from design tools. Romans Cad V9 therefore includes an integrated data management tool (Data Management), which allows all parties involved along the value chain—decision-makers, designers and suppliers—to work together and share information in real time, company-wide. Teamwork, development cycles, and the collection design process are streamlined, accelerated and secured through centralized data storage, structured processes and administration rights, all of which reduce development times and prevent errors.

Data management in Romans Cad V9 has changed significantly as a result of numerous discussions with Lectra customers. These exchanges have led to the development of a solution that places integration (with existing CAD and ERP) and collaboration at the heart of the development process.

Re-using data that is properly indexed within the database as the basis for the design of a new model, thereby avoiding starting again from scratch, can cut development and production costs considerably. In addition to the models themselves, the company's entire know-how capital is protected in the form of re-usable data. Production costs are also analyzed, for example material consumption, seam lengths, the price of accessories and associated hourly costs. As a result, before the physical prototype of a new model is even made, the development manager is provided with a realistic cost estimate.

Enhanced industry-specific processes to improve the quality of new models

The development of any item of footwear invariably begins with the definition of a last (the fit). The ability to scan the last and visualize it in 3D so that subsequent operations can be performed directly onto digitized files, without having to go through a surface reconstruction stage, improves the quality of the last. Romans Cad V9 does this perfectly by producing 3D lasts that remain faithful to the last maker's intentions, significantly improving the comfort and thus the quality of the new footwear model.

Notable advances that shorten development times in luggage manufacture

To cut development times for bags and accessories, Romans Cad V9 now comes with new features which allow certain tasks and operations, such as the creation of darts and gussets, to be automated.

With Romans Cad Data Management, designers also have a wealth of data at their fingertips as they working in collaborative mode, so they can retrieve data and avoid repeating tasks that have already been documented during exchanges with their network of subcontractors. They can therefore focus on their development goals, where the company can make best use of their expertise.

Romans Cad 3D Sketch: a unique process to reduce footwear development times

The brand new Romans Cad 3D Sketch module really stands out from all competing applications currently on the market. It enables designers to create textured sketches directly onto a 3D digital last using an electronic pen and graphics tablet, without impeding their creativity. The Romans Cad 3D Sketch module thus offers designers a very similar experience to traditional hand-drawing, producing sketches on a 3D last and creating a virtual prototype that can be used directly by the development center. The result is greater consistency between the sketched and the finished model, a drastic reduction in development times, and the production of a larger number of realistic simulations in a very short time, so the frequency of collection renewal can be substantially increased.

With Romans Cad 3D Sketch the creativity of designers is enhanced and extended, because they can instantly view their ideas and quickly create variations. The tool also considerably improves the synergy between design departments and product development teams because the designer's original intention can be more easily understood and pursued. This translates into fewer errors of interpretation, fewer iterations, and better quality. Project managers can rapidly estimate the costs associated with the design and suggest minor design alterations that will have a major impact on cost price without really altering the general look of the model.

Last but not least, Romans Cad V9 has been made even easier to use.

By facilitating the entire design, development and manufacture process for footwear, luggage and leather goods, Romans Cad V9 fulfils the needs and helps overcome the main strategic challenges of professionals in these sectors.

Education Conference held by Lectra brings together 36 teachers and directors

Paris – Lectra invited its "Privilege" partners from the education world to its second international conference, held over two days at the end of October.

This event brought together 36 teachers and directors from 21 of the best-known fashion schools and universities in China, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the U.K. and Switzerland. As part of its network of more than 680 schools, these "Privilege" partners have built solid relationships with Lectra over a number of years, allowing the company to develop a personalized partnership approach in order to support students and prepare them for their future professional careers.

Lectra’s second education conference provided a forum for an enriching exchange between the different participants—schools, universities, major customers and Lectra’s teams—exploring teaching methods and schools' projects, Lectra’s latest developments, and the issues and key challenges faced by fashion manufacturers.

Lectra's specialists presented its high-potential, value-added fashion product lifecycle management technology, along with the new Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 solution. Lectra’s teams placed particular emphasis on the need to make students aware of this major development in the fashion industry and to integrate PLM into a genuine teaching project.

Also at the heart of discussions was the ways in which Lectra’s solutions can optimize product development activities. The design offices of Oxylane/Decathlon are equipped with Lectra’s solutions, and the group’s tools and processes manager explained the importance of ensuring processes are consistent throughout the group and of implementing the same solutions to maintain high levels of productivity, all the while protecting the unique identity of each of the group's brands.

The schools went on to present their teaching of software solutions, specifying that this is provided in response to a clear demand from fashion companies for this kind of training. Representatives from Esmod Paris and the Istituto Secoli de Milan explained how Modaris ExpertPro—Lectra's advanced pattern-making solution—has been integrated into their training curricula. Similarly, the fashion high school in Cholet, (France) a forerunner in the teaching of Modaris 3D Fit, presented a variety of projects developed by their students using 3D virtual prototyping.

London-based designer, Maria Grachvogel, also attended the seminar to share her experiences. Using her own creations as examples, she explained how Kaledo® and Modaris®—Lectra's integrated fashion design offer—can be used to accelerate not only style but also print design. This point was reinforced by several schools such as Parsons The New School (USA), Central Michigan University (USA), Hong Kong Polytechnic (China) and York Saint John University (England) all of whom included Kaledo in their teaching programs from the moment it was launched.

At the end of the education conference, Nannet van der Kleijn, Creative Director of the AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute—the Netherlands) spoke for all participants when she declared, "This event includes a great mix of creativity, innovation and technique and has been an extremely constructive exchange and sharing of experience. Presentations from companies as different as Decathlon and Maria Grachvogel have underlined the diversity of our market and have shown that Lectra's solutions meet a wide range of needs.”

Lectra's new Lectra Fashion PLM and Kaledo(R) showcased at Apparel Tech Conference 2009

NEW YORK, NY - Lectra today announced its participation in the Apparel Tech Conference 2009 in New York City, November 11-12. Held in NY's Fashion Institute of Technology, the Apparel Tech Conference gathers apparel brands, manufacturers and retailers to preview technology solutions and services from a select group of providers.

At the conference, Lectra's Vice President of Sales, Strategic Fashion and PLM, Simon Poulton will explore PLM in a presentation titled, "The Product Lifecycle Starts with Design - So Should Its Management." According to Simon, "Nearly 60% of a product's life is spent in design and development; as such it is essential to have complete visibility through the entire process from design to development and across the supply chain." Simon's presentation, held Thursday, November 12th at 1:00pm, will explore how a comprehensive, fashion-dedicated PLM platform can provide the ability to truly manage the entire design and development of a product's lifecycle without compromising creativity.

Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1, the latest version of Lectra state-of-the-art product lifecycle management solution for the fashion industry, is a unique modular and scalable solution, tailored specifically to the needs of the fashion industry, with built-in best practices developed throughout Lectra's years of work with the biggest names in fashion.

This process-oriented offer incorporates tools for all the activities and processes involved in the business of bringing a collection to market. Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 includes modules for line planning, scheduling, costing, sourcing and performance monitoring, created with strategic decision makers in mind, and also process-based applications for fashion design, technical specifications, pattern-making, 3D prototyping and sample development.

Kaledo® V2R1 enables creative teams to benefit from the latest advances in design technology, both for textile and fashion. Kaledo brings design, product development, marketing and management teams together -- helping them to collaborate harmoniously when developing trends and collections. Kaledo includes modules to create highly realistic simulations of prints, weaves and knits, and to develop variations in just a few mouse clicks.

Kaledo functions on a platform specially devised to meet the specific needs of fashion companies. Its range of tools enables designers to increase productivity while facilitating the exchange of ideas, visuals and data between teams.

Kaledo and Lectra Fashion PLM events Hosted by Lectra

In conjunction with the Apparel Tech Conference, Lectra will bring together dozens of leading fashion and apparel companies to address design issues facing all fashion companies today. Lectra will preview its latest version of Kaledo and Lectra Fashion PLM in two exciting events on November 10th at Lectra Fashion Headquarters, just blocks from the Apparel Tech conference at 25 West 39th Street, FL 4.

Lectra's Kaledo event will take place from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. The Kaledo Lunch and Learn provides a forum for designers and the professional design community to network and learn more about the latest innovations in design technology.

As part of the Lectra Fashion PLM event, Lectra's partners, Walter Wilhelm Associates LLC -- one of the most qualified and experienced consultancy firms in its domain, responsible for nearly 50% of PLM implementations within fashion and related retail industries across the globe -- will present a clear path to successful implementation. This event will take place from 4:00pm - 6:00pm, followed by a reception.

Lectra awarded €21.9 million in its arbitration against Induyco

Paris, October 28, 2009. The Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration notified the award today in the arbitration initiated in June 2005 by Lectra against Induyco, the former shareholder of Investronica Sistemas, under the arbitration rules of the International Chamber of Commerce.

The award of €21.9 million by the arbitral tribunal is composed of:
- award on the merits: €15.1 million (plus interest since June 30, 2005 and post-award interest)
- award as costs: €6.8 million (plus post-award interest).

The arbitral procedure relates to the acquisition by Lectra in 2004 of Investronica Sistemas

The parties agreed in the share purchase agreement signed on April 2, 2004 that disputes arising out of or relating to the agreement would be finally settled by international arbitration.

Induyco provided Lectra with first demand bank guarantees for a total amount of €17.2 million.

Impact of the award on Lectra’s financial statements and cash flow

The company will proceed with its auditors to a detailed analysis of the accounting and tax treatment of the award, which will be fully accounted for in the December 31, 2009 financial statements that will be published on February 11, 2010.

The aggregate amount of legal and expert fees, procedural and other costs incurred by Lectra since the beginning of the procedure amounts to €9.9 million. Of this amount, €4.2 million were expensed in the 2005 and 2006 accounts, and €5.7 million incurred in the years 2006–2009 were recognized in current assets in the balance sheet at September 30, 2009.

As all €9.9 million costs incurred by Lectra have already been paid in full, the award upon satisfaction will result in a cash inflow equal to the total amount of the award, i.e. €21.9 million (plus interest).

Lectra and Eastman Machine Company announce settlement in patent infringement action

Marietta, Georgia: Lectra and Eastman have announced that they have settled the pending patent infringement action brought by Lectra against Eastman and its distributor, Sewn Products, in October 2008, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The claims and counterclaims in the action are being dismissed with prejudice.

In the settlement, Eastman has acknowledged the validity of Lectra’s involved patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,867,392, and, while not admitting infringement of the patent, Eastman has agreed not to use Lectra’ s “Eclipse” feature in Eastman’s future conveyorized cutting systems. The parties agreed not to disclose the other terms of the settlement.

Lectra Launches Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1

New Version of the Only Fashion-Specific PLM Solution on the Market.

Paris – Lectra has announced the launch of Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1, the latest version of its product lifecycle management solution for the fashion industry.

“In these tough times, bringing the right product to market at the right time is crucial to staying ahead of the field. Now is the moment for companies the world over to re-assess their business priorities and processes,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “An integrated software application with associated process-oriented services developed and delivered by industry experts, Lectra Fashion PLM supports fashion companies as they seek to deliver high-quality, cost-effective and on-trend collections in a timely manner, season after season.”

Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 is a unique modular and scalable solution, tailored specifically to the needs of the fashion industry, with in-built best practices developed throughout Lectra’s years of work with the biggest names in fashion. “With its solution for streamlining the complex business of collection management, Lectra is the ideal technology partner for fashion companies looking to enhance their productivity and their competitiveness,” said Mario Boselli, President of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (National Chamber of Italian Fashion, CNMI).

This process-oriented offer incorporates tools for all the activities and processes involved in the business of bringing a collection to market. Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 includes modules for line planning, scheduling, costing, sourcing and performance monitoring, created with strategic decision makers in mind, and also process-based applications for fashion design, technical specifications, pattern-making, 3D prototyping and sample development. This fully modular and adaptable offer fulfills the needs of brands, retailers and garment manufacturers of all types and sizes.

A major breakthrough in PLM technology

Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 takes a huge leap forward by integrating fashion design tools and product development functions with end-to-end collection management features. Going further than any other PLM solution on the market, the V2R1 brings contributors together around “one version of the truth.” Users can share season palettes, pattern design data, and measurements charts across the entire range of Lectra Fashion PLM applications, thus securing data and eliminating the risk of errors. Having a single information center saves time on data entry, facilitates communication, and helps maintain quality standards.

Prominent Europe, for example, specializes in men’s shirts and formal wear and has recently expanded into casual wear and women’s wear. The UK-based company produces approximately 17 million garments a year and manages up to 2,000 customer contracts. It was looking for an international system to work across different languages, maintain its exemplary delivery record, and move the business towards an “at once” manufacturing system. “Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 will allow us to speed up our processes,” said Nigel Lugg, Chief Executive of Prominent Europe. “It will link our three European offices in Spain, France and the UK, and will allow us to collaborate directly with six key Asian hubs: India, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Thailand. Lectra’s key strength is its high degree of fashion experience, which links into a global business network.”

Enhanced workflow management features within Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 guarantee optimal planning and control of product lifecycle processes, activities and deliverables for both users and managers. Product development status and workflow management milestones are synchronized, and workflow management follows product development progress—not the reverse. This flexible workflow system, unique among PLM solutions, now enables each fashion company to adapt the order of tasks and progress flowcharts to their individual working methods, making it easy and comfortable to use.

Ease collaboration to enhance competitive advantage

Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 offers fashion professionals a shared information space with a number of features that facilitate close collaboration within and between teams. Improved notification features ensure that key participants in the collection development process are kept up to date regarding changes made along the value chain. An innovative mark-up tool provides creative and technical teams alike with powerful tools for visual communication, enabling users to “grab” designs of all kinds and annotate them for modifications. Also included in V2R1 is a plug-in option to save and classify sketches directly from Adobe® Illustrator® CS3/4 directly into Lectra Fashion PLM. These sketches are then not only shared throughout the design and development process but can also be modified, filled with colors and fabrics and used to create boards and other communication tools. Easy and efficient collaboration speeds up the accurate exchange of ideas, eliminates the risk of error, and freeing up time for creative work.

“At Une Nana Cool, it is very important for us to continually propose attractive concepts and designs—we aim to encourage young women to enjoy simple, fashionable, high-quality lingerie, the way they enjoy choosing outer garments,” said Akiyuki Ueno, President of Une Nana Cool, a subsidiary of Wacoal, worldwide lingerie leader headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. “Up until now, our designers have spent half of their time on operational tasks and on coordination with other team members. With Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1, our designers will be able to spend more time on creative tasks such as concept development and design—this will really strengthen our competitive advantage."

Revolutionizing PLM: modular and scalable software and services

For customers looking for a speedy return on investment, Lectra Fashion PLM V2R1 can be implemented with Lectra’s new Easy Start approach. This offers pre-configured contributor roles such as designer, product specifications developer, pattern maker, quality controller, sourcer, product manager/merchandiser. Users are quickly operational and efficient thanks to pre-defined user rights and requirements and role-specific training. As the solution is totally scalable, a project that begins with an Easy Start implementation can easily grow and become personalized for the user company and their specific needs. This flexible system allows fashion companies to integrate their own best practices into the system and adapt it to their methods. Change management is thus accelerated and users are quickly at ease with the system.

In order to provide the best possible support for their customers, Lectra’s fashion PLM experts offer rigorous assessments of company processes, carried out within a specialized pre-study—fundamental to successful implementation. Fashion is Lectra’s industry experts’ vocation; they are committed to getting to know their customers’ businesses by working with their teams to conduct thorough evaluations of working methods, processes, needs and challenges. Lectra also offers customers a value assessment that takes the quantitative evaluation even further, using a methodology that provides a framework in which to establish the likely value of a Lectra Fashion PLM implementation, along with the return on investment the customer can expect. As part of Lectra’s continuing commitment to customer care, both PLM software and services are entirely tailored to meet the needs of the fashion industry and the needs of each individual customer to ensure that every Lectra Fashion PLM project is a perfect fit.

“We have been impressed by the service received from Lectra. The attitude of their team is always positive and we have really felt supported in our implementation of this advanced technology. Lectra’s fashion experts really know our sector and understand our challenges. When our processes change and develop, we will be able to capitalize on their experience and knowledge of best practices,” said Vincenzo Gamberale, Global IT Coordinator, Arena Group, leading-edge Italian waterwear producer.

Lectra Launches the New Version of Kaledo

Paris – Lectra, a provider of integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials —, has announced the availability of the new version of Kaledo® V2R1.

Kaledo enables creative teams to benefit from the latest advances in design technology, both for textile and fashion. Kaledo brings design, product development, marketing and management teams together—helping them to collaborate harmoniously when developing trends and collections. Kaledo includes modules to create highly realistic simulations of prints, weaves and knits, and to develop variations in just a few mouse clicks.

Kaledo functions on a platform specially devised to meet the specific needs of fashion companies. Its range of tools enables designers to increase productivity while facilitating the exchange of ideas, visuals and data between teams.

Fashion: a rapidly-changing market facing a number of challenges

“Fashion companies today really have to evolve, as the market has changed. They are under enormous pressure to produce attractive, original styles at reasonable prices, and to do so faster and more frequently than before,” explained Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “The result of more than 30 years in technological design solutions and our collaboration with some of the biggest names in fashion, Kaledo is an unprecedented step forward which will allow our customers to reach previously unequalled levels of productivity. Our objective is not only to support them as they face their current challenges, but also to help them prepare for the end of the economic crisis so that they emerge with an edge over their competitors.”

Designers are now expected to produce profitable and technically feasible collections more frequently, while at the same time displaying more creativity. To meet this challenge, they must not only be able to count on powerful tools but also on the know-how of other professionals within the company. Close collaboration involves more specialists early on in the process and enables designers to create collections that are more coherent and better adapted to the demands of the market—an absolute must in the current economic climate.

“Even those involved in creative activities are now being put under pressure to show more productivity. With Kaledo, fashion companies can develop new models and collections using existing elements, capitalizing, season after season, on their creative assets while taking new trends into account. They can thus respond to a request for designs or modifications in just a few hours, all the while ensuring the quality of their styles and limiting their costs,” added Anastasia Charbin, Head of Lectra’s design solutions.

Kaledo V2R1, a real leap forward for the fashion industry

New-version Kaledo is quickly becoming the industry standard.
“After a careful and detailed validation process, Sonae Distribuição chose Lectra’s design solutions at the end of June 2009. Using Kaledo, we expect to observe significant improvements in all our processes that center on design. Kaledo will centralize all product data in a single, organized location, boost the creative process by automating repetitive manual tasks, improve the quality of product specification data, and improve and facilitate communication and data exchange between the different agents of the process, both internal and external. We rely on Lectra’s experience and know-how in the fashion business to ensure that we accomplish all these goals,” said Dr. Miguel Costa Seixas, General Manager for Textile Business for Sonae—the largest distributor in Portugal (supermarkets), also operating in the textile sector.

“Kaledo is an excellent fashion design solution, perfectly suited to the needs of our business. The new V2R1 version has simplified and accelerated the entire design process from initial sketches to technical specifications, making our day-to-day activities much easier and faster,” said Giulio Tonin, Information Systems Director at Diesel.

Kaledo sits on a platform that unites all of the company’s teams and design-related activities, which improves the design process—as experts from both Sonae and Diesel point out. These major players have also been able to benefit from considerable improvements in the textile development process.

Comparative tests have proved that the new version of Kaledo enables designers to halve the time they spend on repetitive tasks and allows them to handle the large files commonly used in the fashion business in record time. Kaledo also lets them save considerable amounts of time compared to U4ia, the previous industry standard.

“I’m really impressed with the improvements I’ve seen in Kaledo V2R1. I started off using U4ia, moved on to Kaledo V1, and have now migrated to V2 and have really seen a marked progression in the solution,” said London-based luxury women’s wear designer, Maria Grachvogel. “Kaledo opens up so many new possibilities. The time saved is extraordinary— Kaledo has truly enhanced my creativity and enabled me to create textile designs that would otherwise have been practically impossible.”

Another new feature of the solution allows users to save and organize Adobe Illustrator files straight into the Kaledo database.

Kaledo and Lectra’s range of professional services

As part of Lectra’s commitment to supporting its customers, Kaledo is accompanied by a range of high value-added services—consulting, implementation, training and support—provided by Lectra’s design experts. Through this personalized support, Lectra enables its customers to optimize their creative processes, benefit from the best practices of the profession, and thus reap the full benefits of their technology.

Lectra Announces its Latest Innovations for the Fashion Industries at the 2009 CISMA Trade Show, September 22—24, in Shanghai, China

Lectra will announce Kaledo® (V2R1) and demonstrate the latest versions of Modaris®, Modaris 3D Fit and DiaminoFashion along with its VectorFashion cutters.

Shanghai – Lectra, during the 2009 CISMA Trade Show from September 22 to 24, in Shanghai, China, will be presenting this fall’s launch of the new version of Kaledo®, its leading-edge professional design software platform, and demonstrating its latest innovations, including Modaris®, DiaminoFashion, the VectorFashion FX and the VectorFashion MX.

In these very challenging times, the company has a vital role to play in supporting the textile industry. Lectra’s presence at CISMA 2009 demonstrates the company’s commitment to maintaining close relationships with its customers and to sustaining its efforts to pursue ever more innovative new technologies.

“At Lectra, we believe it is our role to support our customers and take advantage of every opportunity to reinforce our relationships with them,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO. “Our presence at CISMA, the main apparel show in China, is proof of our commitment to Chinese industry. The Lectra value-added solutions that will be announced and demonstrated during CISMA show that we are continuing to strive to fulfill our customers’ requirements and to help them overcome the challenges of their industry, such as the need to increase profitability and make significant savings.”

At the CISMA, Lectra announces Kaledo (V2R1), the latest breakthrough in textile and style development and collection management

Kaledo provides designers with the most advanced textile and fashion development and management capacities on the market. Kaledo is a forum that unites business, creative, marketing and management teams in order to collaborate in the development of trends and collections.

Now more than ever, fashion companies are under enormous pressure to deliver unique, eye-catching designs at reasonable prices, reduce their time-to-market, and renew collections more frequently. As a result, designers are under growing pressure to remain highly creative but with a faster turnover. Designers must have at their disposal tools which allow them to visualize the interplay of colors, 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. While in normal times this is extremely important for brands, it becomes imperative in economic conditions such as those we are currently experiencing. Companies need to slim down their operations and see a return on every dollar invested, even for creative activities such as design. Benchmark tests show that, compared to previous versions, Kaledo V2R1 performs over 50% faster than previous versions when manipulating repeats, especially with very large files.

Lectra will also demonstrate the latest version of Modaris (V6R1)…

Lectra will also showcase the latest version of Modaris, its pattern-making solution for the apparel industry, launched in China in May 2009. 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’ 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 is reduced, and initial production runs can be made sooner and at reduced costs. Its high-performance capacities for all-size grading guarantee the quality and fit of garments and permit companies to optimize the development of new models and collections by drawing on existing elements. By making pattern information exchange simpler and clearer, Modaris enables users to capitalize on resources and best practices in pattern-making and manage product development in a collaborative environment.

Modaris 3D Fit, the highest-performance virtual 3D prototyping solution that enables pattern makers, designers, developers, and sales and marketing teams to simulate and visualize their models in 3D on a virtual mannequin, using the colors, motifs and fabrics (taking into account their mechanical behavior) originally created in 2D, will also be shown at the CISMA. With Modaris 3D Fit, the look and fit of a garment can be verified, and its style and that of entire collections can be validated.

… and of DiaminoFashion (V5R3)

In 2008, Lectra selected China as the primary region for the launch of its newest version of DiaminoFashion, its flagship offer for marker-making, specially developed for the fashion industry.
DiaminoFashion marks a genuine step forward in interactive and automatic marker-making, enabling fashion companies to make significant fabric savings and achieve even higher productivity. With DiaminoFashion, companies can optimize markers for all types of pieces that go into the manufacturing of a garment. They can also maximize fabric savings in production using one of two complementary methods, to be chosen depending on the type of fabric and complexity of the model.

Innovative new products to enhance Lectra’s Vector cutting offer will also be showcased

To meet the challenges its customers now face, Lectra has developed a range of innovative new products to add to its Vector range. At CISMA, Lectra will demonstrate two cutting solutions: the VectorFashion FX, the VectorFashionMX and the new Vector Pilot (V1R2). In addition, it will present new versions of Mosaïc, its system for processing patterned fabrics, and Offload, its offloading assistance system.

Lectra presents its VectorFashion FX and its VectorFashion MX

The VectorFashion FX is the most advanced response to apparel companies’ need for flexibility. Versatile and reliable, it is the ideal solution for restocking collections and prototype cutting. With the capacity to cut non-stop while the spread is automatically loaded onto the cutting surface, it also ensures maximum productivity. The VectorFashion FX guarantees perfect quality of cut pieces, even those with edges at a tangent. Garments of impeccable quality can then be produced and made available quickly.

The VectorFashion MX represents an incomparable technological leap, providing levels of production speed and cutting quality never achieved before. Large manufacturers find in the VectorFashion MX an ideal response to increasing numbers of orders, reduced lead times, and the need to optimize production. Unprecedented cutting room flexibility as well as raw material savings are achieved due to the surprising speed with which the VectorFashion MX is able to cut the most complex pieces—with no buffer zones between cut pieces. Even the largest orders can be handled swiftly, enabling manufacturers to multiply the various orders to be produced while respecting lead times and without consuming raw materials allocated to other orders.


Associated with the Vector cutters, Optiplan®, Lectra’s cut-order planning and optimizing solution, integrates several independent planning steps in one unique and integrated process while optimizing the material usage and increasing production.

Mosaïc: increase productivity by up to 20%

Lectra is also able to announce a new version of Mosaïc, its pattern motif recognition and processing solution, available as an option on Vector FX cutting systems, including the new VectorFashion FX, and also the VectorFashion MX.

With Mosaïc, fashion companies can cut pieces accurately to meet pattern motif matching requirements, even when the fabric is distorted. Directly integrated within the cutter pilot, Mosaïc combines extremely powerful new software and a state-of-the-art digital camera, enabling users to increase their productivity by up to 20% when matching patterned fabrics. Used with the Eclipse function, which enables the Vector to continue cutting even as the spread advances, Mosaïc offers productivity levels close to those achieved with plain fabrics.

A number of patents have been taken out for Lectra’s Mosaïc offer, and the company has received several industry awards for this technology.

Offload system: a new, even smoother cutting process

Offload is now available as an option on the entire range of Vector cutters. Lectra's offloading assistance system helps apparel professionals to streamline the process of unloading pieces and prevent sorting errors. This system opens up the possibility of producing more complex cut orders, which can be a way of making very significant material savings. With Offload, companies strengthen their capacity for just-in-time production of a larger number of models and their variants, helping them to respond to the changing buying habits of their customers.

New Vector Pilot (V1R2)

Launched in February 2007, the Vector range of cutting systems has proved an absolute triumph. The Vector Pilot software, which brings a new level of intelligence to the automated cutting system, has played an important role in this success.

The new version of Vector Pilot makes the Vector cutting equipment an even more powerful system. Through significant improvements in cutting strategy, the software ensures a high-quality result, even when performing difficult maneuvers and optimizes the blade path for greater efficiency. What’s more, the Vector Pilot is easier to use through the original concept of “simplexity”: a sophisticated piece of software that aims to make a complex application as simple to use as possible.

Smart Services: onboard intelligence

Lectra’s new cutting solutions come equipped with Smart Services—onboard intelligence which monitors the machines in real time, updates pilot software, and runs the machines’ preventive maintenance program, as well as performing an array of other high value-added functions. A permanent communication link between the equipment and experts in Lectra’s five International Call Centers—including one located in Shanghai—enables the company’s teams to resolve most potential problems remotely and without delay.