The textile printing and dyeing industry is undergoing a systemic restructuring from equipment level to decision-making level. On June 28, 2026, the Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Committee of China Dyeing and Printing Association was formally established in Yantai, with an initial 23 members covering core industry-academia units such as Huafang Co., Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, and Shanghai Challenge Textile. This marks the first organized platform dedicated to intelligent manufacturing in the sector, signaling that scattered digital upgrades are now being integrated into a unified technical roadmap.
Background
The timing of the committee's establishment is noteworthy. The printing and dyeing sector currently faces dual pressures: volatile upstream chemical fiber raw material prices and tightening requirements from downstream apparel brands on delivery times and environmental compliance. Public data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that profit growth for above-scale printing and dyeing enterprises fell to 3.2% in 2025, below the overall textile industry average. Against this backdrop, the association's choice of Yantai—a port city with a mature printing and dyeing cluster—reflects clear industrial logic. The Yantai and surrounding Jiaodong area hosts leading printers like Huafang and Luthai, where equipment upgrade needs are urgent and digital foundations are relatively strong.
The committee's structure also reveals a pragmatic approach to technology deployment. The chair is Sheng Shouxiang, chairman of Huafang Co.; among the eight vice chairs are academic experts like Xiang Zhong, vice dean of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University; the secretary-general is Wang Yan, an engineer from the association's industry development department. This "enterprise + university + association" triangle aims to shorten the cycle from lab to workshop. Association president Lin Lin stated at the inaugural meeting that the committee's core task is to push artificial intelligence and digital management systems from single-point applications to full-process integration, and to build a unified intelligent manufacturing standard system for printing and dyeing.
Industry Impact
For printing and dyeing enterprises, the committee's establishment brings three substantive changes. First, standardization of equipment interconnection. Currently, workshops suffer from a "one machine, one system" problem, where different brands of setting machines and dyeing machines use incompatible data formats, preventing production line data integration. The committee will lead efforts to define data interface specifications, directly affecting procurement strategies—legacy equipment lacking open protocols may face accelerated obsolescence.
Second, promotion of numerical control processes. Process parameters (temperature, time, bath ratio) in dyeing have long relied on experienced workers, with very low digitization. The committee plans to use industrial software to embed process models, improving color matching and sample-making efficiency for small-batch, quick-response orders. For foreign trade companies, this means the ability to serve Western brands' "rapid sampling + small order repeats" demand will become a differentiator.
Third, talent structure adjustment. Over 60% of the 22 committee members are technical backbone from enterprises, reflecting the industry's urgent need for professionals who understand both printing/dyeing and IT. Over the next two years, the committee is expected to drive the creation of at least 3-5 group standards and organize multiple digital training sessions for enterprise technical managers.