In a large, noisy
room, a petite middle-aged Cagliese woman in a
blue vest paces up and down the room-length loom.
She collects a bunch of pure white threaded fibers
as the bulky metal machine continues its steady
deposit of finished rolls.
Without skipping a beat, she
moves along, guiding the machine. She repeats
this for every section of the room-length machine
as if she is part of the machine itself. |
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Twenty years ago, the Cagli resident who
worked at the Cariaggi
textile factory would
have performed this process by hand. Today,
the 44-year-old Cariaggi factory has become
highly technical, with production machinery
and computers filling the eight production
units.
Cristiana Cariaggi, communication
manager for the factory and granddaughter
of the founder, says the factory trains
its 135 local workers for their specialized
individual tasks. Most have lived in Cagli
their entire lives and share the Cariaggi
family pride in the quality of their luxury
cashmere thread. |
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Throughout the eight units of the factory, two to
five workers occupy each spacious room, each running
a machine. About 80 percent of the workers are women;
male employees mostly fix machinery or package the product.
The Cariaggi Factory produces two different types of
threads, each created through a meticulous process.
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The first product is Cardato, carded cashmere.
Seven of the eight units of the factory are dedicated
to the manufacture of Cardato cashmere threads.
Each block is separated by colors of threads and
by combinations of different materials within
the threads. This system of separation ensures
the purest and highest quality for each individual
color or material combination.
The raw material is sheep’s wool imported
from Inner Mongolia, says Cariaggi. If the raw
material is to be part of a blended thread, the
cashmere is mixed with the other element before
entering the machine. The cashmere might be blended
with silk, cotton, or wool. |
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A rolling machine first opens
the raw fibers (this step reduces
the materials to a very fine substance,
creating a connected sheet of
soft fluff).
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The fibers are then mixed again
and expanded over a flat part
of the machine.
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They are then rolled around
large cylinders and become lighter
and more thoroughly mixed.
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The “coat” that is
created in the first several steps
is then divided in a machine divisore
and the first stage of the threads
is produced.
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The fuso spins while
the thread is wrapped
and stretched.
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The fusi are then
placed in a high temperature
vapor machine so that
the torsion is fixed
on the thread (the
humidity level of
the thread is extremely
important to fine
production so it is
monitored and catered
to at all points from
receptionthrough packaging
and shipping).
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The final spools
are removed from the
vapor machines to
become single thread
rocca and are transformed
into one solid spool
of thread (from this
process, it is possible
to produce rolls with
more than one thread).
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The rocca is then
attached to a high-tech
machine that inspects
the quality at amicroscopic
level. If the machine
suspects the slightest
imperfection or defect,
the piece of thread
is eliminated.
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If the thread is to be
colored, there are two
possible techniques. The
first is to dye raw materials
prior to thread creation,
called in fiocco, said
Cariaggi. This creates
a better quality product
and is a very thorough
process. The material
is sent through several
machines that are constantly
oiled so that the material
does not dry out. Each
machine operates in a
separate room filled with
bright spools of pink,
blue, gray, and every
vibrant color thread imaginable.
The dyed materials are
mixed in with undyed materials
and they are passed through
machines until the material
is colored, she said.
Each machine has an anti-static
capability to reduce the
electrical force of the
material. The material
is then transported through
overhead tubes and arrives
at the areas where the
production process begins
for undyed fibers.
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The
second type of production,
says Cariaggi, is
for Pettinato cashmere
that is much finer
than the Cardato
cashmere. Only one
block of the factory
is dedicated to
the production of
this type of cashmere,
and the production
is different and
more precise.
The room in which
the threads are
created must be
kept at a constant
of 20 degrees Celsius
at all times. The
humidity must be
maintained at 65-70
percent.
The Pettinato production
combs the fibers,
removing all impurities,
and creates a very
fine thread. The
fiocco is the first
material dealt with
in the process.
The fiber is arranged
in straight, parallel
pieces that are
stored in large
barrels. The fibers
are sent through
combing machines
until the textures
are perfected and
the thread is spooled.
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The spooled
thread is
then sent
to another
room and goes
through the
filatolo machine,
which reduces
the fine threads
to an even
thinner texture.
This machine
can regulate
the thickness
and texture
of the Pettinato
threads. The
threads are
then twisted
into multiple
ply threads
and spooled
again.
Once the
threads are
spooled, both
types of thread
are sent to
labs that
thoroughly
inspect them
for defects
or imperfections.
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If
defects
are
found,
the
threads
are
re-humidified
in order
to remove
the
defects
and
ensure
maximum
quality.
The
materials
are
packaged
and
boxed
by hand
and
are
sent
directly
from
the
Cariaggi
factory
to the
purchaser.
The
factory
goes
through
several
involved
processes
in order
to guarantee
the
quality
of their
product,
Cariaggi
said.
The
thread
undergoes
several
humidity,
resistance,
and
smoothness
tests,
and
workers
closely
inspect
it for
any
possible
imperfections
to ensure
absolute
color
consistency.
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