The Cagli Project
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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.

 


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.

 
 

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.

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.

     
   
 
  • 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).

  • The fibers are then mixed again and expanded over a flat part of the machine.

  • They are then rolled around large cylinders and become lighter and more thoroughly mixed.

  • 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.

 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
 
  • The fuso spins while the thread is wrapped and stretched.

  • 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).

  • 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).

  • 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.