From Yarn to the Finished Product Ready for Dispatch

From cotton thread to the finished T-shirt, the entire textile production process at trigema takes place in-house using state-of-the-art technology – quality Made in Germany. All processes are certified according to STeP by OEKO-TEX®. Day after day, we produce up to 20,000 garments. 1,200 qualified employees take on new challenges every day and ensure the smooth production of our sports and leisurewear.

Parts of our trigema Organic & Recycled collection are additionally produced in accordance with the strict Cradle to Cradle® requirements. For the relevant certified products, the components used must meet the requirements of the Cradle to Cradle® standard. In addition to items made from recycled cotton, we mainly use organic cotton as a raw material.

Fabric Production

Every day, knitting machines produce up to ten tonnes of fabric from different yarns. trigema exclusively uses yarns from German and European spinning mills. All yarns are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. Working around the clock in a three-shift system, large circular knitting machines produce fabrics with a wide range of textures – from cotton single jersey, double rib and fine rib to highly functional fabrics.

The organic cotton used to make most products in the trigema Organic & Recycled collection comes from a GOTS-certified family business in Turkey, where it is processed into fine cotton yarn by a spinning mill. We source conventional cotton yarn from certified spinning mills in Germany, Austria and Turkey. The yarn used for a large proportion of the trigema Organic & Recycled collection is made from 100% organic cotton. Although this yarn is more difficult to process and considerably more expensive than synthetic fibre, it ensures that the outer fabric and seams have uniform properties and can be dyed using the same substances.

After harvesting in Turkey, the fibres of our organic cotton are cleaned, combed and spun. Once the cotton has been processed into fine yarn in this way, it is delivered to us on the Swabian Alb, where our fully automated knitting machines use it to produce high-quality fabric qualities. The thread is transformed into a textile surface in which the original fibre can still be clearly recognised by its brownish-white colouring.

Finishing

In our finishing department, the fabric undergoes various refinement processes. First, it is pre-treated in state-of-the-art washing and bleaching systems. Only hydrogen peroxide bleach is used in the bleaching process. All textile garments produced in-house in sizes 104 to 5XL are certified according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® and tested for harmful substances in accordance with the requirements of the standard. After bleaching, the fabric is dyed in the cold-dyeing system. In the final step, it is made shrink-resistant using a mechanical process.

For most products in our trigema Organic & Recycled collection, colours and finishes optimised according to Cradle to Cradle® are then used. The substances used are assessed according to the requirements of the Cradle to Cradle® standard and selected for the relevant certified products.

A single colour contains numerous pigments and substances, which in turn consist of various ingredients. Optimisation according to Cradle to Cradle® is therefore an extensive process. After two years of collaborative research with the EPEA Switzerland environmental institute, this optimisation was successfully achieved. For the relevant certified products, dyes and finishes are used that meet the requirements of the Cradle to Cradle® standard. During the finishing process, the fabric passes through various processes, baths, machines and stenters before being wound onto rolls and made ready for cutting.

Cutting and Garment Production

Before cutting, which at trigema is carried out digitally and fully automatically, a computer determines the optimum fabric usage. Using specialised CAD software, the individual pattern pieces are arranged on the computer in such a way that the textile surface is used as efficiently as possible and fabric waste is kept to a minimum. Fabric layers up to 150 layers high and up to 11 metres long are laid out on the cutting tables before being processed and cut by the cutting machines at a rate of 18 to 20 metres of fabric per minute.

Sorted by item and identified with production cards, the cut pieces are transferred to the sewing department. Hundreds of experienced garment machinists assemble the cut pieces in our three plants in Burladingen, Altshausen and Rangendingen, creating the finished products.

We source thread, buttons and labels for our Cradle to Cradle®-certified products from the trigema Organic & Recycled collection from authorised suppliers in Switzerland and Germany. These components are managed and assigned in the sewing department to ensure that Cradle to Cradle® products are also processed using the corresponding thread.

Customisation

Finished garments are embroidered or printed. In the embroidery department, automated machines embroider individual motifs, names and logos for industrial and business customers. Several twelve-head embroidery machines produce high-quality embroidery with a combined total of more than five million stitches per hour. Finished garments are enhanced with coloured motifs in our screen-printing department. Up to 14 different colours can be printed fully automatically. In addition, our digital printing machine can print individual designs onto individual tops. This also allows us to offer you the option of customising your own trigema garments.

Quality Control, Storage and Sales

Once production is complete, every trigema product undergoes careful quality control before being folded and prepared for dispatch. The products are then sorted by item number, colour and size in our warehouse, which extends across three floors of the main plant. As soon as your order is received, our sales staff request your product from the warehouse. From there, it is immediately transferred to the shipping department, packed and addressed before being sent on its way to you.