Cashmere Fibre
From an obsession with concepts to a focus on personal wearing experience, the fashion industry's trends are returning to material quality. As cashmere clothing becomes increasingly popular, Grand Union, as a supplier and global pioneer of organic cashmere, unveils its mysteries.
Grand Union adheres to the standards of the U.S. and EU organic agricultural regulations, avoiding chemicals and GMOs, and embraces a natural, green philosophy in the cultivation of Chifeng's rare Hanshan white cashmere goats. The cashmere produced meets organic standards, and we are proud members of the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI).
The Hanshan white cashmere goat was officially recognized by the Inner Mongolia government in 1995. Mainly distributed in the Bairin Right Banner, Bairin Left Banner, and Ar Horqin Banner of Chifeng.these goats thrive in the harsh, cold climates with sparse vegetation; they are robust, skilled in long-distance grazing, and consume clean, natural water from the grasslands. Known for its fine, long white cashmere, with a fiber diameter between 14.5 and 15.5 microns and a length exceeding 36 millimeters, this cashmere is referred to as "white among white" and is a recognized scarce resource.
We preserve the finest Hanshan white goat genetics through advanced technological management;including selective breeding, nutritional support, sectioned cashmere collection, grading, and traceability systems; ensuring the stability and sustainability of cashmere quality in terms of fineness and length.
Grand Union sources cashmere from our own pastures and farms, raising Hanshan white goats, and we have established solid partnerships with local herders to jointly breed the finest goats. Annually, we procure up to 600 tons of raw Hanshan white cashmere.
Since the inception of our organic pastures, we have adhered to the principles of "ecology, organic, development, and coexistence," utilizing natural grassland grazing. We determine the number of livestock based on the grassland's growth, dividing it into several areas for rotational grazing, allowing the flock access to fresh pasture while giving the vegetation a chance to regenerate, ensuring ecological balance.
In managing our pastures, we prohibit the use of chemical pesticides and apply organic fertilizers during the dormant period every 2-3 years. This not only improves soil structure but also helps the grasslands survive winter, continuously providing reliable forage, ensuring healthy herds, and guaranteeing the high quality of our cashmere from the source.
"GRAND UNION --- Breathing New Life into Cashmere."
Grab cashmere
By manually collecting the cashmere from the cashmere goats, no harm is caused to the goats. Each cashmere goat produces 50 to 80 grams of raw cashmere (net of impurities) per year. On average, the cashmere from five goats is required to make one cashmere sweater.
Choosing and washing cashmere
1. Cashmere Sorting and Washing Process
Initial Sorting: After shearing, the first step is to sort the cashmere to remove coarse hairs, large impurities, and plant debris. This is done manually using simple tools like screens or sorting tables.
Mechanical Sorting: Use a sorting machine or vibrating screen for mechanical sorting, separating fine cashmere from coarse hair and removing small impurities. After this, a final manual sorting is done to ensure no coarse hair or impurities remain.
2. Washing Process: The sorted cashmere is placed into a washing machine, where detergent is added to remove surface grease, dust, and impurities.
The cashmere combing process is a crucial step in cashmere processing, effectively separating coarse hairs, impurities, and short fibers to obtain pure and uniform cashmere.
Cashmere combing
Grand Union has independently developed cashmere combing equipment with core technology and proprietary intellectual property rights. This equipment utilizes advanced techniques such as airflow suspension combing, flat combing, and automatic circulation of falling material and wind delivery. Using this equipment, finished products can be combed in one pass, meeting or exceeding national standards set by relevant authorities. The successful development of the FLZ-2013K air suction automatic cashmere combing machine represents a significant technological breakthrough in the textile equipment manufacturing field, greatly enhancing China's capacity and technological level in the wool textile industry.
Using the Chinese idiom "carp" meaning "nitpicking", aptly describes this technology. It efficiently separates cashmere by weight: lightweight cashmere is sucked into the cashmere combing track by a blower, while heavier fibers fall into a wool bag. The combing machine employs a series of oscillating needle and brush rollers to continuously comb the fine cashmere. After multiple combing processes, the fibers are aligned into parallel lines, the uniform fiber layer is collected through a conveyor belt or drum, forming uniform fiber strips or a fiber web.
The quality of cashmere greatly depends on the combing process. Therefore, we prioritize adding multiple combing steps, to ensure the neatness, uniformity, and consistency of the fiber layer.
Cashmere spinning
Process of Cashmere Spinning: After multiple stages of carding, we move into the spinning preparation phase. First is the blending of fibers, where the carded cashmere is opened up and mixed together. For blended products, other materials are also mixed in at this stage, along with additives and water to increase humidity.
Next, the cashmere is combed into slivers using a combing machine. We utilize advanced combing machines from AUTETA in Germany and related fine spinning production lines to minimize fiber damage and ensure clean and neat slivers. The carding process is crucial for the quality of cashmere.
Once the slivers are formed, they undergo drawing and stretching to make them finer. We also have the advanced Italian B7 ring spinning frame, which combines digital control, electronic technology, spinning processes, and mechanical technology to precisely control the entire spinning process; including drafting, twisting, and winding; ensuring high productivity, quality, and flexibility.
Finally, the cashmere yarn is shaped through the twisting machine. The production process of fine-spun yarn is more complex, with the slivers undergoing 13 processes of combing to remove short fibers, impurities, and neps. Through repeated combing, the yarn becomes lustrous and delicate, widely used in high-end cashmere fabrics ranging from 100s to 160s.
cashmere dyeing
We use environmentally friendly Lanaset dyes for dyeing and we have also introduced a new type of fatty amine-modified polyoxyethylene ether anionic-nonionic surfactant as a dyeing auxiliary. This innovation not only reduces the time required for adding dye auxiliaries but also significantly cuts down holding time and the number of hot washes during post-dyeing treatment. As a result, it greatly enhances production efficiency and saves costs. This approach fully embraces our production philosophy of energy conservation, emission reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement; ensuring product quality and stable production delivery.
Our dye house is equipped with fully automatic dye dispensing and formula preparation equipment imported from Germany, capable of accurately and efficiently mixing any desired color.
In our dyeing and finishing workshop, we employ advanced loose fiber dyeing technology and utilize the leading loose wool fiber dyeing machines available in the market. These machines feature liquid level sensors for water level indication, providing precise water volume display on the computer and main cylinder body. This allows for exact control of water ratio and consumption. They also include automatic functions for water intake, drainage, heating, and cooling, with variable frequency speed control for internal and external flows. Process parameters can be directly inputted into the computer for automatic control. These advanced technologies effectively preserve the original characteristics of cashmere fibers.
Additionally, we operate specialized production and processing workshops for tie-dyeing, strip dyeing, hanger dyeing, printing, and more; catering to diverse customer needs.
In terms of environmental protection, our factory has established its own sewage treatment pond to ensure that all wastewater meets national discharge standards. Furthermore, this wastewater is utilized for irrigation in our self-built fruit and vegetable farm, aligning with principles of sustainability, green practices, and environmental protection within the natural ecology.
cashmere ready-to-wear
The Grand Union garment workshop has integrated state-of-the-art production equipment, featuring 120 German Stoll computer flat knitting machines and 15 Japanese warping machines. These machines offer simple and rapid adjustment functions, user-friendly interfaces for operation and maintenance, and versatile capabilities in stitch lengths and working widths. They excel in producing various types of cashmere products, from 3 to 16 needle stitches and intricate patterns. Additionally, part of the workshop utilizes the Euratex hanging system, further boosting production efficiency.
In terms of factory management, we have implemented an advanced ERP computer system customized for our enterprise. This system enables real-time recording of production data, tracks operator performance and quality inspection results, and supports efficient production planning, progress monitoring, and quality control within the facility. For employees, the system provides real-time updates on daily output and wages, while serving as a convenient platform for customers to trace product origins and access historical data.
Furthermore, we operate a dedicated scarf weaving production workshop with an annual capacity of 300,000 high-quality cashmere scarves. These scarves represent a blend of rare cashmere and distinctive design techniques.
Annually, we produce 300,000 cashmere scarves, with 90% of our products exported to Japan, Europe, and the United States. Our diverse range includes premium cashmere scarves of varying thicknesses, sizes, and patterns, featuring jacquard, printing, and embroidery techniques. Notably, our printed scarves are customizable with any design for individual orders.
We maintain high flexibility in cashmere scarf production, with minimum order quantities ranging from 40 to 80 pieces per style, depending on size, to meet market demands for small batches and rapid response.