From the Sector

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, along with its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will be participating in the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany from the 21st till the 24th of June 2022.

On display will be SHIMA SEIKI’s latest innovation in flat knitting technology as applied to the field of technical textiles—a prototype weft knitting machine capable of multi-axial yarn insertion. Fabrics produced on this machine use inlay technique for the production of hybrid textiles that combine the stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics with the stability of woven textiles, suited to various technical applications. To this, warp yarn is inserted to further expand its capability to produce 3D-shaped carbon fiber and composite preforms directly on the machine. This is made possible by taking advantage of the fact that flat knitting as a textile production method is capable of producing end products that are shaped-to-form and with added thickness. Compared to current methods of preform production, savings in post-processing time, material, labor and associated costs are immense, realizing efficient and sustainable production. SHIMA SEIKI’s own yarn unwinding technology is also used for optimum yarn feed and tension for use with technical yarns that are otherwise difficult to knit. Industrial textile samples knit on the multi-axial machine will also be available for examination on-site.

SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will be available for demonstrations as well. Of particular interest should be its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes Virtual Sampling. When countless variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time, cost and material normally associated with producing actual samples for each variation. When approved, the same data can be converted to machine data for immediate knitting, significantly reducing lead times.

With the purchase of the latest technology, iSAVER® by Itema, in weaving machines, ISKO pushes the envelope of technological performance and sustainability, making further progress in product and process efficiency.

This decision is an additional, important asset in ISKO’s journey towards a genuine Responsible Innovation™. It is part of other crucial investments made by the company, aimed at further reducing its environmental impact, among which stand out R-TWO™50+ – a new denim generation made with a minimum of 50% pre- and post-consumer recycled blend – and the Green Machine – a pioneering technology providing a 100% post-consumer recycling solution that fully separates and recycles cotton and polyester blends at scale.

After an intensive process, a selection was made where ISKO focuses on the development of technical solutions that enable greater resource savings and more sustainable production methods, always with the protection of workers at heart.

As a result, ISKO’s Headquarters extend the company's long-term relationship with Itema,
strengthening the company’s position as the mill with one of the world’s largest denim capacities. The new rapier machines are enhanced by the iSAVER® technology, a breakthrough mechatronic innovation that eliminates the waste selvedge on the left side of the fabric, allowing for saving in energy and raw materials, cutting in half the cotton waste that typically results from the weft yarn. All types of ISKO’s innovative fabrics, with a multitude of different constructions and fiber mixtures, can now be produced using these advanced weaving technologies, with a special focus given to the R-TWO™ technology in terms of its sustainable credentials.

At this year’s Techtextil in Frankfurt/Main (June 21st to June 24th) Trützschler Nonwovens, Trützschler Card Clothing and Trützschler Man-Made Fibers present various new and proven solutions for the nonwoven, card clothing and man-made fiber sectors. Join us at booth D80 in hall 12.0!

Trützschler Nonwovens invites to talk sustainable fibers such as hemp or linen and out-of-the-box fibers such as nettle and pineapple fibers. Our solutions for manufacturing innovative nonwoven products include machinery and complete production lines for paper grade pulp, re-generated cellulose fibers, cotton and various other natural fibers.

What happens when sustainable meets digital? Trützschler Nonwovens and software partner Proptium introduce T-ONE, our new digital working environment for both fiber- and polymer-based nonwoven producers. T-ONE supports routine tasks such as quality control and recipe management but also enables systematic line monitoring and data collection for T-ONE’s line optimizations.

Trützschler Man-Made Fibers introduces the OPTIMA-based, versatile TEC-O40 and TEC-O80 systems for extruding and spinning industrial yarns (IDY). The modular OPTIMA platform is highly flexible and adaptable to manufacturing a broad spectrum of (semi-)industrial yarns from polyamide, polypropylene or polyester.

• Sustainable infrastructure solutions, road safety and health protection

At this year’s Techtextil, Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions will be presenting the trade audience with new applications, special processes and sustainable solutions focusing on the production of industrial textiles. Among other things, the company will be showcasing new technology for charging nonwovens that sets new standards with regards to quality and efficiency. Between June 21 and 24, the discussions will be concentrating on airbags, seat belts, tire cord, geotextiles, filter nonwovens and their diverse applications.

More polyester for airbags
Airbags have become an integral part of our everyday automotive lives. The yarns used in them are made predominantly from polyamide. As a result of increasingly diverse airbag applications and also the increasing size of the systems used, polyester is today used as well, depending on the application requirements and cost-benefit considerations. Against this background, the Oerlikon Barmag technologies make an invaluable contribution. In addition to high productivity and low energy consumption, they particularly excel in terms of their stable production processes. Furthermore, they comply with every high quality standard for airbags, which – as in the case of virtually all other textile products used in vehicle construction – must provide the highest level of safety for vehicle occupants. And all this without any loss of function in any climate and anywhere in the world for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Buckle up!
Seat belts play a decisive role in protecting vehicle occupants. They have to withstand tensile forces in excess of three tons and simultaneously stretch in a controlled manner in emergencies in order to reduce the load in the event of impact. A seat belt comprises approximately 300 filament yarns, whose individual, high-tenacity yarn threads are spun from around 100 individual filaments.

Invisible, but essential – road reinforcement using geotextiles
But it not just inside vehicles, but also under them, that industrial yarns reveal their strengths. Low stretch, ultra-high tenacity, high rigidity – industrial yarns offer outstanding properties for the demanding tasks carried out by geotextiles; for instance, as geogrids in the base course system under asphalt. Normally, geotextiles have extremely high yarn titers of up to 24,000 denier. Oerlikon Barmag system concepts simultaneously manufacture three filament yarns of 6,000 denier each. Due to the high spinning titers, fewer yarns can be plied together to the required geo-yarn titer in a more cost- and energy-efficient manner.

hycuTEC – technological quantum leap for filter media
In the case of its hycuTEC hydro-charging solution, Oerlikon Neumag offers a new technology for charging nonwovens that increases filter efficiency to more than 99.99%. For meltblown producers, this means material savings of 30% with significantly superior filter performance. For end users, the consequence is noticeably improved comfort resulting from significantly reduced breathing resistance. With its considerably lower water and energy consumption, this new development is also a future-proof, sustainable technology.

New high-tech Staple Fiber Technology Center
Extending to around 2,100 m2, Oerlikon Neumag in Neumünster is home to one of the world’s largest staple fiber technology centers. As of now, these state-of-the-art staple fiber technologies are also available for customer-specific trials.

The focus during the planning and the design of the Technology Center was on optimizing components and processes. Here, special attention was paid to ensuring the process and production parameters in the Technology Center system could be simply and reliably transferred to production systems. Here, the fiber tape processing line is modular in design. All components can be combined with each other as required. And comprehensive set-up options supply detailed findings for the respective process for various fiber products.

The Technology Center is also equipped with two spinning positions for mono- and bi-component processes. The same round spin packs are used for both processes, characterized by excellent fiber quality and properties and meanwhile very successfully deployed in all Oerlikon Neumag production systems. Furthermore, the spinning plant is complemented by automation solutions such as spin pack scraper robots, for example.

Turkish company Altun Tekstil, a manufacturer of home textiles and upholstery fabrics, has ordered a total of five of the latest Orthopac RVMC-15 weft straighteners from Mahlo.

The production of textured yarns, weaving and raschel knitting as well as dyeing and finishing is included in Altun’s operations. While the focus is on tulle curtains and upholstery, the company’s fabric range also encompasses a wide variety for apparel.

When investing in the future, Altun Tekstil has consistently trusted in Mahlo and has installed 10 Mahlo Orthopac RVMC-15 weft straighteners in its two plants since 2016.

Lowest residual distortion at highest speed
All the Mahlo weft straighteners Orthopac RVMC-15 are integrated into existing production lines. Mahlo’s latest weft straightener is fit to interact and communicate via the newly mSmart concept with all production lines and provide historical data, which help to improve the production processes.

The fully integrated units benefit from universal control technology and the intuitive Mahlo mSmart G15 visualization concept. The HMI has been optimized for userfriendliness. The visualisation concept is constantly enhanced and ready for Industry 4.0. The path to a digital future within Altun is prepared.

• Turkish circular knitting market offers prospects in turbulent times

After a four-year, Covid-related break the German circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting with its Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik (MMÜ) once more at the important International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM) in Istanbul. At Booth 713 in Hall 8, Mayer & Cie. will present three machines: the D4-2.2 X interlock machine, the OV 3.2 QCe for double jersey structures and the MV 4 3.2 II for single jersey fabrics. For the Mayer & Cie. and MMÜ team the focus will be on in-person contacts with customers, suppliers and partners. Despite the tense international situation both the manufacturer and its representative are positive about the medium-term outlook for the Turkish market.

Turkey is a market with prospects
“The challenges that the global economy faces are at present enormously wide-ranging, of course,” says Mayer & Cie.’s Turkey specialist Stefan Bühler. “The Russian invasion of the Ukraine, supply chain outages, shortages of raw materials and skyrocketing energy prices all create uncertainty.” And then there is galloping inflation in Turkey and elections in 2023. Yet despite, and in part because of, this state of affairs Bühler and Kahraman Güveri, CEO of Mayer & Cie.’s Turkish representative MMÜ, hold a positive view of the market outlook for the years ahead. Large orders, especially for standard products, are on the increase, Kahraman Güveri explains. That leads to new investments, new companies and a growing demand for refurbished machines that then need to be replaced by new machines elsewhere. And former commission merchants are now enterprises in their own right.

“Apart from that, Turkey benefits from its proximity to Europe, transport routes are manageable,” says Stefan Bühler. “This location advantage attracts brand manufacturers who together with their orders bring new approaches, new designs and new technologies into the country.” And Turkey’s already very highly developed textiles sector benefits too. That, says Kahraman Güveri, is why one can be confident for the next few years, “at least for as long as nothing unforeseen happens”.

Established machines with that something special: OV 3.2 QCe for double jersey structures
The portfolio of machines that Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting at the ITM is tried, trusted and popular. The OV 3.2 QCe is a specialist for interlock fabrics and double jersey structures that it knits in both filament and synthetic fibre yarns. With a conversion kit the OV 3.2 QCe also qualifies as a producer of 8-lock structures, spacer fabrics and fine gauges. The machine is available in a choice of three frames: from open-width and industrial to giant frame. Stefan Bühler, regional sales manager for Turkey, has this to say: “Not for nothing has the OV 3. 2 QCe been one of our most popular machines for years. It is mainly used for sportswear and for leisure- and outerwear.” In Istanbul the OV 3.2 QCe on show will be a 30-inch, E40-gauge model.

D4-2.2 X for fine rib and interlock fabrics
The double-jersey D4-2.2 X is an obvious choice for knitting fine rib fabrics of up to E28 gauge. Spacer and interlock fabrics are also part of the machine’s established repertoire. And it can produce elastomeric plating in both cylinder and dial cam. No matter which of these tasks is assigned to the D4-2.2 X, it performs it with impressive productivity.

MV 4 3.2 II for flexibility in the single jersey sector
In the single jersey sector, the long-established German firm delivers a literally fine solution. The MV 4 3.2 II on show at the ITM knits to an E38 gauge. The machine can also be supplied for gauges from E14 to E60. It is, in addition, highly flexible, with a repertoire that ranges from piqué and double piqué to one-thread fleece and smooth single jersey.

At the forthcoming Texprocess, Techtextil and Heimtextil shows taking place in Frankfurt from June 21-24 – members of the Swedish Textile Machinery Association TMAS will be showcasing a range of solutions aligning with the growing trend for more localised and automated textile manufacturing.

Digitalisation and the push for more sustainable, shorter and less expensive supply chains are currently making manufacturing in high-cost countries within Europe more attractive and there have been many other contributing factors to this over the past two years.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of many countries to shortages of essential items like PPE while at the same time making the full exploitation of new digital options essential during national lock-downs and long periods of restricted travel. The escalating cost of global transportation, as well as the growth of online retailing and the associated benefits of on-demand digital manufacturing, are further reinforcing the many benefits of short-run and near-shore new operations.

Secure supply
At Texprocess, for example, Eton Systems will be unveiling its latest Ingenious software solution which further enhances the company’s Opta Unit Production System (UPS) introduced in 2021.

“Our automated technology has already had a great impact on the productivity of thousands of garment production lines,” says Eton’s Managing Director Jerker Krabbe. “Our systems help producers across the world to reduce repetitive manual tasks and increase efficiency, which evens out some of the differences between production in high and low-cost countries, making reshoring a feasible option. Creating a diversified production portfolio with a mix of production facilities, some closer to home, makes for a more secure product supply.”

Flexibility
Imogo meanwhile recently installed the first industrial scale dyeing system in Sweden for many years. The Dye-Max spray dyeing line has the potential to slash the use of fresh water, wastewater, energy and chemicals by as much as 90% compared to conventional jet dyeing systems. It is capable of carrying out the application of a wide range of fabric pre-treatments and finishing processes, providing users with unbeatable flexibility in production.

“Here in Scandinavia, we are currently seeing an explosion of companies developing sustainable new cellulosic fibres – many from waste clothing – but a problem is that all of the environmental benefits they deliver can potentially be lost in the further processing, and especially in conventional dyeing,” observes the company’s Founding Partner Per Stenflo. “The Dye-Max system positively addresses this, but interest in it has not just been confined to Europe. We are currently seeing a lot of activity in Turkey – largely as a near-shore partner to European brands – but also in Bangladesh.”

Robotics at Heimtextil
ACG Kinna Automatic specialises in automation solutions for filled products such as quilts, pillows and mattresses and its live demonstrations of robotics in action have proved a magnet for visitors to Heimtextil. This year’s show will be no exception.

“The use of robotics is now standard across many industries dealing in solid goods, but the handling of soft materials such as textiles is a little more complex,” says Managing Director Christian Moore. “Nevertheless, it’s something we have successfully mastered, and our robotic systems are proving highly beneficial to their users. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution when it comes to automation and our approach is always to carefully examine where it will make the difference in each bespoke system. A focus is on identifying and eliminating bottlenecks which will increase product flows.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, ACG Kinna drew on all of its automation know-how and extensive network of contacts to build a new nonwovens fabric converting and single-use garment making-up plant in a matter of weeks, in order to supply the Swedish authorities with urgently-needed medical gowns.

Instant colour
Localised textile production is also booming in the USA, where Coloreel has recently secured multiple orders for its instant thread colouration technology via its US partner Hirsch.

“Coloreel technology enables the high-quality and instant colouring of a textile thread while it is actually being used in production and can be paired with any existing embroidery machine without modification, while also making it possible to produce gradients in an embroidery for the first time,” explains VP of Sales Sven Öquist.

“Advanced rapid colour formulation software and high-speed drive technology allow a single needle to carry out what it previously required many multiples of them to do – and with much more consistent stitch quality. By instantly colouring a recycled white base thread during production, our system enables complete freedom to create unique embroideries without any limitations. Colour changes along the thread can either be made rapidly from one solid colour to another, or gradually, to make smooth transitions or any colouring effect desired. This provides big benefits when it comes to sustainability and design creativity.”

Milestone
Svegea will be promoting its latest EC 300 collarette cutting machine at Texprocess 2022. This machine is used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as waistbands, cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements. With its E-Drive 2 system and fully automatic FA500 roll slitter, the EC 300 has an output of around 20,000 metres per hour.

“Advances in automation are only making the specialised, bespoke machines we engineer even more efficient and we are expecting a very busy year,” says Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The garment components our collarette cutters produce make it logical for them to be integrated into the operations of making-up operations, wherever they are.”

Sensors
The advanced yarn tension monitoring technologies of Eltex of Sweden meanwhile play an essential role in rectifying defects in  weaving, tufting and composite reinforcement operations.

“A correct tension of the warp and weft threads ensures proper machine operation,” explains Eltex Global Marketing and Sales Manager Anoop K. Sharma “The constant tension monitoring and automatic control of the tension of the thread help to overcome unnecessary problems.

“We continue to make advances in both the hardware and software of our tension monitoring systems, such as the EyE™ for the warping process. With the EyE™, the yarn tension values from all yarns are continuously updated and displayed on screen. In addition, tension values outside the warning level are indicated both on the sensor’s LEDs and on the screen for complete quality control. No fabric can be woven without the appropriate and correct tension.”

BB Engineering GmbH (Germany), a subsidiary of Oerlikon Textile, is pleased to announce that Thai Polyester Co., Ltd (Thailand) has placed a major order for four VacuFil systems for recycling bottle flakes with connected direct spinning. The polyester manufacturer, established in 2001 and with an overall annual capacity of 316,800 tons, is one of Thailand’s leading producers and exclusively uses German technology. To this end, the company already operates Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag systems. The BB Engineer-ing VacuFil systems will be deployed to convert existing spinning plant equipment from processing polyester to processing PET bottle flakes without loss of performance.

BB Engineering supplies the complete recycling process – from the drying stage and extrusion, all the way through to the spinning plant-appropriate fine filtration stage. Thanks to decades of experi-ence in spinning plant technology, the German machine construc-tor also provides comprehensive spinning plant know-how and is aware of how the recycling process must be designed to ensure that the product manufactured using the spinning plant ultimately has the right quality. The four new VacuFil systems will be integrated into the existing building infrastructure and process landscape at Thai Polyester, with a total output of approx. 4,000 kg/h. The Vacu-Fil systems will be complemented by BB Engineering 3DD mixers for directly feeding dyes into the recycled melt flow. Commissioning has been scheduled for 2023.

Thai Polyester will be using the new VacuFil systems to manufac-ture its ‘EcoTPC’ recycling-brand yarns. 100% of these polyester yarns are produced from bottle, fiber and yarn waste and are all GRS certified.

ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative solutions for nonwovens production and textile manufacturing at INLEGMASH 2022 in Moscow, Russia, from March 14 to 17.

AIRLAY TECHNOLOGY
Protecting the environment and conserving natural resources require new technologies. In the textile-related industries, the current challenge is to develop industrially and economically viable solutions to use eco-friendly fibers in nonwovens. ANDRITZ focuses on the airlay nonwoven application for hemp fibers (used in mattress production, insulation, ...) and also geotextile end uses.

TEXTILE RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES
ANDRITZ Laroche is a leading supplier of fiber processing technologies such as opening, blending, and dosing, airlay web forming, textile waste recycling, and decortication of bast fibers. One focus of this product range lies on complete recycling lines for post-consumer and industrial textile waste to produce fibers for re-spinning and/or nonwoven end uses. ANDRITZ will present recycling technologies for end-of-life textile products that can be used in multiple applications, such as automotive, insulation, mattresses, and furniture felts.

Customer awareness and regulations are pushing apparel brands to recycle their textile waste and use the recycled textile fibers in their own products. To support ANDRITZ customers, a team with process know-how is available to conduct customized trials in our advanced technical center located at the ANDRITZ Laroche facilities in Cours, France.

BAST FIBERS
For the demanding Russian market for technologies based on bast fibers, ANDRITZ will present innovative products and the valorization of bast fibers, in particular hemp.
ANDRITZ Laroche is a player in the textile waste recycling sector, with airlay nonwoven technologies but also bast fiber decortication and cottonizing lines.

These eco-friendly fibers are used to spin yarn mixed with cotton, saving cotton as raw material, which reduces the consumption of water, pesticides applied in its cultivation and chemicals used during the dyeing and finishing processes.

Turkish powerhouse in home textiles and furnishing fabrics Altun Tekstil has just commissioned the first Montex®Coat coating system in Turkey.

The advanced machine has been installed at the ever-expanding family-owned company’s industrial complex in Bursa and is being employed to provide an anti-slip and textured backing to upholstery fabrics with a stable and uniform foam, via knife-over-roller coating.  

Founded in 1993, Altun exports its fabrics to more than 60 countries, with its major export markets being Russia and Ukraine, as well as many Middle Eastern and European countries.
Its integrated operations include the production of texturized yarns, weaving and raschel knitting, in addition to dyeing and finishing. With a major focus on tulle curtains and upholstery, the company’s fabric range also extends to a wide variety of apparel styles.

Altun has installed eight stenters in various widths at its two plants since 2016 – coincidentally the year Monforts Turkish representative Neotek was founded. All of the stenters are engineered for specific product lines and the Montex®Coat unit is integrated into the latest of these lines, which has a maximum working width of 2.2 metres and eight chambers.