Automation is trending in the apparel industry; be it in sewing room, cutting room or in material handling. The saddest and the most concerning fact is that Indian apparel manufacturers are still not receptive towards adopting new technologies. The major factor behind this rigid mindset is price. That is why MAQI, a Chinese sewing machine manufacturer, has not overlooked price in their latest product. The cost competent company had forayed into the Indian market a few years back and is currently planning to capture around 10 per cent of the sewing machines market in India with their new energy-efficient smart sewing machines. At GTE ’17, the company displayed its latest lockstitch, overlock and interlock machines, but the show stealer was the SNLS machine MAQI Q5. The modern German industry design of the machine MAQI Q5 is designed like the shape of a ‘Jaguar’, giving the machine a very appealing groovy look, as if the machine in itself is speaking that ‘I am fast and I am strong’. The in-house developed motor consumes electricity less than 1kWh in one day. The company claims that this new motor saves 70 per cent more energy than the conventional motors. MAQI Q5 is introduced in the market for the first time and currently it has not been installed in any factory.
The smart sewing machine has an in-house built control panel and control box with voice command option which the user can use to control the machine settings with a single touch voice navigation technology. The USB intelligent outlet in the control panel can be used to update the control system programs and can also supply power to charge other electronic devices. Additionally, the machine comes with an anti-bird nest stitch feature producing clear stitches. The machine is strong and heavy and has a super large operation space which makes it ergonomically viable to handle thick fabrics.
Surging labour costs in China has paved the way for growth in ASEAN countries in the next ten years. In order to grow with the Indian market, MAQI has also rolled up its sleeves… Speaking on its cost competency strategy, Peter Ye, Director – Global Marketing Centre, Zhejiang Maqi Sewing Machines Co. Ltd. shared, “MAQI is not looking for profits in Indian market, we are here for bigger net sales, a big market for our products. That is why we are not going for the in vogue IoT concept in our machines as it will increase the machine cost and right now the cost at which we are selling our products is reasonable and competitive enough for the market”.
Since most of the machine parts are developed in-house, MAQI is providing a three-year warranty for its products, giving assurance to their customers of quality parts and a good performance. The company has a dealership network with Sunny Sales, Balaji Sewing Machines, Sleek Corporation and Selvam Engineering in India and a liaison office in Bangladesh to provide quality service and timely delivery to its customers.