Garment finishing technology firm Tonello partnered with Italian mill Candiani Denim to develop O-Zone, a new way to apply sustainable ozone processes to jeans.
Designed for small productions, customization and for experimenting with new design concepts directly on the garment, O-Zone allows designers to quickly test and verify finished results. Garments are placed inside the cabinet on hangers and are treated with ozone through a flexible and fast process that is fully controllable by a touch screen. The user can set the desired parameters to achieve results like sun-faded looks, localized discoloration or ombre effects.
“O-Zone can be used to achieve unique and customizable discoloration effects, something that you cannot normally achieve with traditional ozone systems,” said Alice Tonello, Tonello R&D and marketing director.
The cabinet can accommodate about 10 to 15 garments, depending on the type of process and effect desired, she noted.
Candiani Denim’s R&D department assisted in the development of the technology, which is currently being used at Candiani Custom, the mill’s Milan-based in-store microfactory where consumers can design made-to-order jeans.
The denim mill says the cabinet is “the perfect demonstration on how research and collaboration between leading companies can result in true innovation, always driven by sustainability.”
“We can say without any doubt that we opened the path to a new way ozone can be applied,” the mill stated, adding that it “will be a huge evolution of denim treatment.”
“Candiani’s contribution has been fundamental and decisive in the conception, development and testing of the O-Zone technology,” Tonello added.
The technology complements Tonello’s growing catalogue of sustainable and efficient finishing machinery. In 2020, the Italian firm overhauled its laser machine range. The Laser, a four-piece suite of streamlined laser systems designed to enhance productivity, speed and accuracy, was developed as a response to the market’s needs for continuous production and speed to market.