Aus der Branche

Trützschler announces their cooperation with Balkan Textile Machinery. INC.CO, a partner which completes Trützschler's product portfolio for recycling by cutting and pulling solutions.

Both Balkan and Trützschler are family-owned companies for whom sustainability in the textile chain is a major concern. Balkan is well established in Turkey, one of the most important markets for textile recycling. Their robust and reliable machines help to cut, mix and tear textile waste to individual fibers, and to press them into bales of secondary fibers. These bales can be fed to the preparation process with Trützschler machines.

“We are now able to provide a complete line-up of technologically leading machinery which has been specifically developed for rotor and ring yarns from recycled materials”, says Markus Wurster, Director Sales and Marketing at Trützschler Group. “Customers benefit from less complexity when planning and executing a mill project. The combined processes from Trützschler and Balkan are perfectly fine-tuned, reliable and reproducible. And of course, customers have access to Trützschler’s premium service.” Osman Balkan, Owner of Balkan Textile Machinery. INC.CO, adds: “I am very happy that we can join forces with such a strong international player like Trützschler. Together we can make a significant contribution to dealing with textile waste globally."

Der Fachbereich Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik der Hochschule Niederrhein präsentierte sich im Juni auf der größten internationalen Fachmesse für Textilmaschinen ITMA in Mailand. Knapp 40 Mitarbeitende und Professorinnen und Professoren des Fachbereichs waren als Ansprechpartner für die Industrie vor Ort. Sie präsentierten sich mit Fokus auf nachhaltige und innovative Lösungen und als Netzwerk für zukünftige Fachkräfte.

Darüber hinaus bekamen 100 Studierende die Gelegenheit nach Mailand zu fahren. Unterstützt wurde die Exkursion vom Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA). Auf der Messe konnten die Studierenden in kürzester Zeit einen sehr guten Gesamteindruck der vielfältigen textilen Produktionskette gewinnen und branchenführende Unternehmen kennenlernen.

Der Messestand erzielte mit täglich wechselnden Exponaten - vielfach Abschlussprojekte der Studierenden des Fachbereichs sowie Prototypen aus Forschungsprojekten - und einer digitalen Ankleidekabine des Forschungsprojektes 5GARderobe positive Resonanz und hohe Besucherzahlen. Mit eigens an der Hochschule hergestellten Produkten zeigte der Messestand einen Einblick in die vorhandenen Möglichkeiten des Fachbereichs und stellte dabei innovative Lösungs- und Forschungsansätze für die Industrie vor.

In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Unternehmen manaomea gestaltete die Hochschule ein kreatives Give-Away in Form eines Kugelschreibers aus Textilabfällen und -resten des Fachbereichs, welche den nachhaltigen Ansatz der Hochschule unterstreichen.

Der Fachbereich präsentierte sich neben dem Messestand mit Fachvorträgen als kompetenter Ansprechpartner in der Forschung und Entwicklung. Das Team um Professorin Dr. Monika Eigenstetter war mit einem Vortrag beim ITMA Textile Colourants and Chemicals Forum vertreten. Evelyn Lempa und Aslihan Memisoglu gaben mit Ihrem Vortrag ‚Innovative Finishing Processes and an Effective Chemicals Management for a Safe and Sustainable Textile Industry‘ Einblicke in ein Deutsch-Indonesische Nachhaltigkeitsprojekt. Alexandra Glogowsky präsentierte mit ‚Use of 3D printing technology for the production of thin layers. Digital coating of textiles.’ aktuelle Forschungsentwicklungen im Bereich 3D-Druck auf Textil im ITMA Innovator Xchange Forum.

In einer Pressekonferenz präsentierten Professorin Dr. Maike Rabe (Forschungsinstitut für Textil- und Bekleidung der Hochschule Niederrhein, FTB) und Sina Borczyk (Wirtschaftsförderung Mönchengladbach GmbH) die geplante Textilfabrik 7.0. T7 ist ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt des FTB, des Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen, des Verbandes der Nordwestdeutschen Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie sowie des Verbandes der Rheinischen Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie, mit der Textilakademie NRW sowie der WFMG für die Stadt Mönchengladbach. Während der Messe wurde die Hochschule Niederrhein in der Generalversammlung der AUTEX (Association of Universities for Textiles) als ordentliches Mitglied begrüßt.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK has completed an international series of exhibitions, culminating in a very successful ITMA 2023, the world’s largest international textile and garment technology exhibition, which took place in Milan, Italy in June.

 “This was a very hectic period for FET, organising participation in three exhibitions in Europe and Asia over a period of less than four months” commented FET’s Managing Director Richard Slack. “However, this provides a great opportunity for smaller specialist companies like FET to raise our profile on the international stage, showing what we can offer, alongside major corporations. Being able to meet so many customers face-to-face, post pandemic also indicates a welcome return to normal business relationships.”

Prior to this was INDEX 23 in April, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition in Geneva. The exhibition season began earlier in the year with the “Green Textile and Innovation Technology Forum and Exhibition” in Hong Kong, taking a small booth to support the event and FET’s official agent in the region, Chemtax.

FET designs, develops and manufactures extrusion equipment for a wide range of high value textile material applications worldwide and the variety of these three exhibitions illustrates FET’s scope in the industry.

West Yorkshire is to have a first-of-its-kind apprenticeship training course for textile engineering technicians, reflecting a resurgence in the industry locally, and more generally in the UK.

Calderdale College has partnered with the Textile Centre of Excellence (TCoE) and the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to develop the bespoke Level 3 apprenticeship course which will start in September 2023.

Engineering Technician apprentices at Calderdale College will receive training from the TCoE, helping them to develop the engineering maintenance skills required to close the skills gap in West Yorkshire’s textile industry.

While the region has been a flourishing hub for textile excellence since the 19th century and is being revitalised through digitalization and the localisation of supply chains, its success is currently being hindered by an ageing workforce and high staff turnover.

Through adapting the engineering training at Calderdale College to address the current requirements of the textile industry, the unique new course will ensure the passing on of vital know-how and good practice aligned with the new skills demanded by Industry 4.0 and automation.

Collaborative Apprenticeships
Calderdale College has developed the programme over a two-year period through close collaboration with the TCoE and the BTMA, as well as through consultation with British heritage weaver AW Hainsworth and a number of other local textile companies.

The course launch follows on closely from the success of the Collaborative Apprenticeships project launched in 2022 at Calderdale College. To date, this has seen the college engage with over 100 local employers on the benefits of increasing the quantity and improving the quality of the apprenticeships that they offer, as well as encouraging others to introduce apprenticeships for the first time.

“Over the years, we’ve seen how beneficial apprenticeships can be for several sectors, particularly in terms of helping businesses to retain staff and ensuring that they have a steady flow of skilled workers coming in,” said Claire Williams, head of employer engagement at Calderdale College. “Having identified that employers in the textile manufacturing industry were struggling to find apprenticeship training that was designed around their needs, we knew that alongside employers and our partners, we needed to satisfy this critical gap in the market. We hope that this programme will act as a leading example for the rest of the industry to follow.”

Die KARL MAYER GROUP und die Südwolle Group haben sich zu einem Projekt zusammengeschlossen, um die Möglichkeiten von Merinowolle für die Wirktechnologie zu erforschen. Projektauslöser war die steigende Nachfrage nach Textilien aus nachhaltigen und umweltfreundlichen Materialien. Die Kooperation will innovative Stoffe aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen für den Einsatz in Unterwäsche und funktioneller Sportbekleidung entwickeln. Der Fokus lag auf dem Einsatz von Wolle, einem Material mit ausgezeichneten Komforteigenschaften und dem Look and Feel leichter Single-Jersey-Waren. Stoffqualitäten aus Naturfasern sind für die Wirkerei untypisch, dementsprechend unterschiedlich waren die Herausforderungen.

Merinowollgarne mit guten Laufeigenschaften
Als Material wurde das Hidalgo-Garn der Südwolle-Gruppe eingesetzt. Das Garn entstand mit der eigenentwickelten BETA-SPUN-Technologie, bei der ein Filament um einen Merino-Kern gedreht wird. Werden Naturfasern wie Wolle, Baumwolle oder Seide mit nachhaltigen Fasern wie biologisch abbaubarem Polyamid als Filament kombiniert, können durch das Spinnverfahren langlebige, leichte Garne entstehen, die nach Gebrauch vollständig rückstandsfrei zerfallen. Die Garne aus den zwei Komponenten bringen zudem gute Laufeigenschaften für den Einsatz in der Wirkerei mit.

„Der Polyamid-Anteil des Garns erhöht dessen Festigkeit, vermindert die Haarigkeit und macht es zu einer ausgezeichneten Wahl für die Wirktechnologie“, bestätigt Gabriela Schellner aus der textilen Produktentwicklung von KARL MAYER.

Formstabilität gepaart mit dem Look and Feel von Single-Jersey
Das Hidalgo-Garn aus Merinowolle wurde auf einer Wirkmaschine mit einer durchdachten Legungsauswahl zu einer leichten, weichen, vor allem aber formstabilen Ware verarbeitet. Die Textilspezialisten von KARL MAYER hatten hierfür im Vorfeld mit zwei verschiedenen einbarrigen Stoffqualitäten experimentiert und damit einen neuen Ansatz für Trikotmaschinen verfolgt.

Die ersten Ergebnisse sind vielversprechend. Nun sind weitere Versuche erforderlich, um die Technik zu perfektionieren. Gefragt sind Entwicklungspartner, darunter Stoffproduzenten, Marken und Bekleidungshersteller, mit denen die Stoffqualitäten, Maschinenausrüstung und Ausrichtung auf die Endanwendungen verfeinert werden können. Auch durch weitere Projektarbeiten sollen die Grenzen dessen, was mit Merinowolle und Wirktechnologie möglich ist, durchbrochen und für die Textilindustrie neue Lösungen entwickelt werden.

Die Rundstrickmaschine „Relanit“ funktioniert wieder einwandfrei und strickt an einem kunstvollen Muster, das Textildesign-Studierende der TEXOVERSUM Fakultät Textil der Hochschule Reutlingen in ihrer Projektarbeit entwickelt haben. Im März war dringender Reparaturbedarf bei der Firma MEMMINGER-IRO angefragt worden: 48 sogenannte Fournisseure mussten an der Maschine ersetzt werden.

MEMMINGER-IRO ist Marktführer, wenn es um Spitzentechnologien in der Verfahrenstechnik für Fadenzuführung, Kontrolltechnik und Schmiersysteme für Strickmaschinen geht. So wurde eine Ausstattung mit dem modernen “Speicher Fournisseur MSF 3 ATC“ vorgeschlagen, der mit einer neu entwickelten, patentierten Magnetbremse das Garn bei der Zuführung automatisch und konstant spannt, um gleichbleibende Fadenspannung während des Strickprozesses zu gewährleisten.

Neben der Rundstrickmaschine wurden auch die anderen Strick- und Wirkmaschinen im Maschen-Labor der Fakultät inspiziert. Auch für diese empfahl MEMMINGER-IRO eine Ersatzbeschaffung, die weitere Fournisseure und Schmiersysteme umfasste. Alle Kosten im insgesamt fünfstelligen Bereich wurden übernommen und die Ausstattung der Hochschule Reutlingen gespendet. Anfang Juni wurden die neuen Systeme auf den fünf Strickmaschinen montiert. Die Studierenden können ihre Projektarbeiten daran fortsetzen, die zum bevorstehenden Semesterende noch in die Prüfungsleistung eingehen.

The EU's planned ban on the entire group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) would endanger many industrial processes, states VDMA Textile Machinery. Textile manufacturing would be affected twice – by missing important chemicals for technical textile production and by the lack of indispensable textile machine components. The latter would affect the whole supply chain from textile machinery manufacturers and its suppliers to the textile industry in the EU.

Solid PFAS parts are widely used in textile machinery production, especially where extreme conditions prevail. Verena Thies, Managing Shareholder Thies GmbH & Co. KG, explains: “Our textile dyeing machines are world leaders and set standards in efficiency and sustainability. They work under pressure at temperatures of up to 140° C using highly acidic, highly basic and/or oxidative or even reductive chemicals. This is precisely why PFAS is needed, for example, in seals and rings, flaps as well as valves for a long-lasting and high-quality machine concept – because there are no alternatives with qualitatively equivalent properties. In addition, PTFE semi-finished products enable a sliding and gentle contact with the textile fabric in ecologically important techniques in the transformation of textile wet finishing."

PTFE and also FKM are fluoropolymers (fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers), a group within the broad PFAS range of about 10,000 substances which would be banned for production, use and sale in the EU. They are high-tech materials, and as so-called "polymers of low concern" are not a danger to the environment, according to the OECD. Furthermore, these components are installed inside a machine and exchanged or disposed of properly. PFAS such as PTFE and FKM must be exempted from the ban, demands the VDMA in its position paper.

"In this way, the association also supports the approach taken in Great Britain. With the 10,000 substances, everything is lumped together, although the various PFAS groups are very different," warns Dr Sarah Brückner, Head of VDMA Environmental Affairs and Sustainability. "We should take our cue from the UK and look at the substance groups in a differentiated way."
Apart from several types of dyeing machines, PFAS components are indispensable in textile drying machines (e.g., conveyor dryers, tumblers and stenters) and damping machines. They are also used in fully automatic chemical dispensing systems and pressure vessels for thermochemical treatment of textile recycling material, heat recovery systems and wastewater treatment technology. This means that a lot of machines needed for a sustainable textile production would be affected by the PFAS ban.

VDMA Textile Machinery will take part in the ongoing EU public consultation. The association will describe indispensable key functionalities and conditions of use in the textile machinery sector as well as the consequences for the companies and the customers in the EU if the ban is imposed. The consultation ends on September 25, 2023, and VDMA urged its members affected by the planned restriction to participate in the consultation at an early stage. This is the only way to ensure that the broad scope of the mechanical and plant engineering sector is represented.

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD., together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TÊXTIL LTDA., will host the Tech Fashion shows, a series of private exhibitions held at two locations in Brazil in July and August. The exhibitions will be a showcase for the company’s latest computerized flat knitting technology, presented through fashion shows, machine exhibits and the latest knit samples featured at ITMA 2023. The event is organized by the Fashion Committee of Fitemavest, consultants to Brazil's fashion market, and will feature presentations by CS DESIGN STUDIO designer Cecilia Seibel.

Technological displays include a full lineup of SHIMA SEIKI flat knitting machines, ranging from the MACH2XS WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine to N.SVR122 computerized shaping machine, as well as the SFG-I fully automated glove knitting machine. Exhibited machines vary between locations. Details are given below under ‘Exhibited Technology.’

The potential of each of these knitting machines are maximized in combination with the SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system and APEXFiz® design software. At the core of the company’s "Total Fashion System" concept, SDS®-ONE APEX4 and APEXFiz® provide comprehensive support throughout the apparel supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design to production and even sales promotion. Especially effective is their capability to improve on the design and evaluation process with virtual sampling. Ultra-realistic simulation capability on SDS®-ONE APEX4 and APEXFiz® allows virtual sampling to minimize the amount of time, cost and material spent during the sample-making process

The fashion show will feature the newest creations in WHOLEGARMENT® and other knitwear.

BTMA member Tatham has just delivered an advanced industrial hemp processing line to a major customer in Turkey and had many fruitful discussions about its machinery for the processing of natural staple fibres at the recent ITMA 2023 held in Milan from June 8-14.

The Bradford, UK-based company continues to equip mills around the world with staple fibre spinning and nonwoven technologies for manufacturing a wide range of products, while its TS system for drives and controls is suitable for retrofitting to all OEM textile machines, to provide user-friendly control systems with complete synchronisation and significant energy savings.

“We are currently fielding a lot of enquiries for technologies for the decortication, fibre opening and fabric forming of hemp,” said Tatham director Tim Porritt. “This is being driven by the sustainability of the fibre and concerns over climate change as brands seek solutions to meet their sustainability goals. As a result, there has been an explosion in the interest in hemp production, from farmers through to fibre production, and a wide range of new potential end-uses are being explored.”

Tatham offers a complete ‘Field to Fibre’ service for industrial hemp fibre production and its decortication and cleaning process has a gentle opening action to maintain the fibre length, to make it suitable for subsequent processing.

At the association’s General Assembly held on July 4th, Marco Salvadè has been appointed to replace Alessandro Zucchi as President of ACIMIT.

Marco Salvadè began his career at Salvadè Srl, the family company specializing in the finishing machinery sector, founded by his father and uncle in 1967. After being a member of the company’s board of directors, he has been President since 2021.

Following the election of Salvadè, the General Assembly expressed its gratitude to the outgoing president, Alessandro Zucchi, who has guided the association for the past six years.

Along with the new president, the General Assembly also elected its new Vice Presidents, Chiara Bonino (Bonino Carding Machines SRL), Federico Businaro (Sperotto Rimar SRL), Ugo Ghilardi (Itema SpA) and Cristian Locatelli (Marzoli Machines Textile SRL). Marco Salvadè’s first comments as newly appointed ACIMIT president: “I wish to thank the Assembly for the trust they have placed in me, and I want to express my gratitude to the former President Alessandro Zucchi for everything he has done during the last six years to strengthen the role of the association and of Italian industry on the international scene. With the new vice-presidents and the ACIMIT Board, I will continue the work that has been done in recent years by previous presidents. It will certainly not be a simple task, but one that will no doubt prove stimulating. My primary goal is to increase the sense of belonging to ACIMIT of its member companies, with which we share the same values, and to adjust the association’s strategies to changing conditions in the economic and geopolitical context.”