Antai Textile: AI Empowers Textile 'Intelligent' Manufacturing, 32 Years of Deep Cultivation in the Acrylic Fiber Field to Open Up a New Blue Ocean

In July in the Jiangnan region, inside the production workshop of Antai Textile in Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone, robotic arms are precisely transferring rolls of brightly colored acrylic sliver to the next process. Factory Director Huang of the Production Department is wearing a smart bracelet, on whose screen real-time data on energy consumption and yield rate of each production line are fluctuating. This is the AI production management system introduced by the company half a year ago, which has now increased the production efficiency of acrylic yarn by 12%. 'Manager Li just sent a message. The preview report for that AI event in Guangzhou mentioned that the AI penetration rate in the textile industry is expected to exceed 30% next year. We made the right move with this,' Factory Director Huang smiled and said to the technician beside him, with a hint of pride in his tone.

Founded in 1993, this textile enterprise rooted in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, has been deeply engaged in the acrylic fiber field for 32 years. On the desk of Li Xiong, Marketing Manager, two documents are spread out: one is the newly released '2025 H1 Textile Industry Operation Report', which clearly states that 'yarn output of enterprises above designated size increased by 4.9% year-on-year, and chemical fiber output increased by 5.5%'; the other is the agenda for the 'Analysis Report on Artificial Intelligence Application in the Textile and Apparel Industry (2025)', to be released in Haizhu, Guangzhou on July 15. 'The consumer market is active, and yarn demand is rising accordingly, but relying solely on production capacity is not enough,' Li Xiong said as his fingertips划过 the 'AI Application' title. 'Now what customers want is 'precision supply'—for example, a designer brand in Shanghai last week specifically requested 12 gradient-colored acrylic slivers and required delivery next week. In the past, just color matching would take three days; now with the AI color matching system, a color scheme is produced within two hours, directly connected to Director Huang's flexible production line, doubling efficiency.'

This confidence is inseparable from Antai's in-depth control over the industrial chain. In early July, when news came that Shandong Haijiang's 130,000-ton/year acrylonitrile unit had an unscheduled shutdown for maintenance, Director Huang's phone was almost overwhelmed by inquiry calls from raw material suppliers—acrylonitrile, as the core raw material for acrylic fiber, its supply fluctuations directly affect production stability. 'Don't panic. We replenished our raw material inventory to a 90-day supply before the maintenance, and we just signed a long-term agreement price with Lihuayi last month. Even if the spot price drops by 50 yuan/ton, the impact on our costs will be minimal,' Director Huang decided at the production scheduling meeting, then turned to remind the technician, 'Take advantage of this maintenance period to further optimize that AI raw material proportioning model, aiming to reduce raw material loss per ton of acrylic sliver by another 0.5 percentage points.'

This composure stems from Antai's keen capture of market trends. In recent years, as 'green textile' and 'personalized design' have become industry keywords, the company has early laid out two major product lines: colored acrylic slivers and fancy yarns. 'Traditional white grey yarn has thin profits and relies on the dyeing process. Now customers directly want pre-dyed acrylic slivers, which are environmentally friendly and time-saving,' Li Xiong said, picking up a roll of mint green acrylic sliver. 'Orders for Morandi color systems like this have increased by 40% year-on-year, all ordered by brands making yoga wear and children's clothing. As for those slub yarns and loop yarns, the AI design system can automatically generate more than 200 pattern schemes based on popular color cards, which designers all say is convenient.'

From producing a single acrylic yarn in 1993 to now being a full-category supplier covering acrylic yarn, acrylic sliver, colored acrylic sliver, and fancy yarn, Antai's growth trajectory is exactly a microcosm of the transformation and upgrading of China's textile industry. 'Last week, the textile manufacturing index outperformed the market by 1.87%, indicating that capital is optimistic about the industry's prospects, but the real confidence lies in technology and products,' Li Xiong said, looking out the window at the newly built intelligent warehousing center in the factory area, where AGV robots are transporting packaged goods to the dock. 'Next month, when the industry alliance in Guangzhou is established, we plan to bring our AI color matching system and flexible production solutions for exchange. Maybe we can also cooperate with AI enterprises in Haizhu to develop more accurate market prediction models.'

In the workshop, Director Huang's smart bracelet suddenly vibrated, popping up a reminder: 'Warning of acrylic yarn breakage on Production Line 3, it is recommended to adjust the drafting multiple to 1.25 times.' He raised his hand to confirm on the screen; a few seconds later, the production line parameters were automatically optimized, and the hum of the machine operation became more stable. Not far away at the quality inspection station, inspectors are using an AI visual detector to scan the newly produced acrylic yarn, with the screen displaying in real-time: 'Nep impurities ≤ 0.5 per gram, meeting the premium product standard.'

Through more than 30 years of trials and hardships, from traditional textiles to a pioneer in 'intelligent' manufacturing, Antai Textile is weaving its own industrial story with each flexible acrylic yarn. As the collision between AI and textiles kicks off in Haizhu, Guangzhou, this enterprise from Zhangjiagang is already prepared to embrace the new blue ocean of the textile industry with a more intelligent, greener, and more flexible posture.