From the Sector

• Innovative BCF S8 platform technology opens up new carpet yarn industry markets for Oerlikon Neumag customers

World premiere at the DOMOTEX World Trade Fair for Carpets and Floor Coverings in Hanover: between January 11 bis 14, 2019‎, Oerlikon Neumag will be showcasing its innovative new development, the BCF S8, to a wide audience for the very first time in Hall 11, Stand B36. Whether commodities or niche products – the new BCF S8 platform technology offers manufacturers of BCF carpet yarns decisive arguments for responding to constantly rising cost pressures and the trend for greater efficiency and quality in fiercely-competitive markets. World record: the system achieves never-seen-before spinning speeds and is able to simultaneously spin up to 700 filaments and produce fine titers of up to 2.5 dpf. This superlative performance is guaranteed by numerous individual innovations in the new platform and, for the first time, also in a new human-machine interface (HMI)-based control system, which opens the door to the digital age of smart carpet yarn manufacturing wide. At the ITMA ASIA 2018, the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment had already announced that it would be presenting revolutionary solutions in 2019 – both in hardware and software. And the DOMOTEX marks only the start.

According to manufacturer information, the new BCF S8 is the most efficient Oerlikon Neumag BCF system of all times. “We have succeeded in achieving a new level of greater productivity and even broader product diversity. These allow our clientèle to better cater to changing market requirements and achieve a competitive edge in tough market conditions”, explains Martin Rademacher, Vice President Sales Oerlikon Neumag. As a pre-taste, the machine specialists from Neumünster are serving up performance figures and results from comprehensive trials conducted at their own BCF technology center as well as from two pilot systems which have been tried and tested within the market for months now.

BCF S8 performance in numbers
With up to 700 potential filaments per yarn end, the BCF S8 is raising the benchmark considerably compared to the Oerlikon Neumag S+ BCF system (400 filaments) that has dominated the global market to date. Oerlikon Neumag guarantees fine titers of up to 2.5 dpf. Furthermore, the process speed is higher than ever before – 3,700 m/min (winder speed). This permits throughputs of up to 15 percent greater compared to predecessor technologies. Overall, system efficiency is 99 percent – almost unbeatable. True to the Oerlikon Segments Manmade Fibers segment e-save philosophy, energy savings of up to 5 percent per kilogram of yarn are achievable.

BCF S8 innovations – from straight yarn paths to large cooling drums

This comprehensive progress has been achieved with numerous smart innovations. To this end, one key element above all has been optimized. The yarn path from the spinning system to the new, large cooling drum has now been almost completely straightened. This yarn path, unique to the BCF market to date, ensures that the individual filaments are subjected to minimum friction, hence once again considerably reducing yarn breaks and optimizing the overall production process. Especially noteworthy here are the, for the first time, straight yarn inlet in the texturing head – guaranteeing superior yarn quality.

And the considerably reduced distance between the heating godet duo and the texturing head also has a positive impact on the texturing process. It ensures a more even twist to the yarn and reduces the compressed air consumption. Furthermore, the texturing chambers can be removed individually, which additionally shortens servicing times. The now closed units also provide the best possible protection for the texturing jets and lamellar chambers.

The 800-mm diameter cooling drum optimally and gently cools the filaments. And this has a positive influence on the yarn quality. The new cooling drum is now equipped with a V groove for all polymers (PET, PA6 and PP) as standard.

The RoTac3 tangling unit, already established within the market, once again reduces the compressed air consumption by around 50%, while the newly-developed Witras III-37 winder achieves production process speeds of 3,700 m/min.

First intuitively-operable human-machine interface (HMI)
The new BCF S8 is the first Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment system equipped with the innovative human-machine interface (HMI) for intelligent controlling and monitoring. In this case, the interface between man and machine has been oriented on the daily requirements of users in BCF production. With its new ‘look and feel’, it supports intuitive operation and offers direct access to important information as well as actual and target values at each take-up position by means of a touch screen. A completely new ‘alarm philosophy’ also simplifies troubleshooting and malfunction analysis. “This smart HMI system is a logical step in the digitalization of our products”, explains Dr. Friedrich Lennemann, Vice President R&D Oerlikon Neumag.

• conceptual and commercial garments presented at exhibition in London

After two years of research Mistra Future Fashion is honoured to present, in collaboration with Centre for Circular Design at University of the Arts London and Filippa K, an exhibition pushing the limits of ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ fashion. Started in 2017, the industry-embedded project Circular Design Speeds takes a unique systemic approach, showcasing what could be accomplished using existing value chains as well as what the future of sustainable fashion holds. Ground-breaking textile research from University of the Arts London is questioning normative use and design of garments in creating prototypes to be worn across a spectrum of 24 hours to 50 years. By implementing research into existing value chains, Filippa K have produced a coat that is 100% recycled and recyclable, as well as a concept dress that is 100% bio-based and biodegradable. The research results and garments will be presented at the launch event at the University of the Arts London, on November 23rd and open to public on the 24th and 25th of November.

On Friday November 23rd the exhibition Disrupting Patterns: Designing for Circular Speeds opens up at University of the Arts London. The exhibition is the results of a two-year research project called Circular Design Speeds aiming at pushing the limits of ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ fashion by testing new concepts for sustainable design in an industry setting. On display are exploratory prototypes, as well as commercial garments produced by industry partner Filippa K using existing value chains. In addition, research results on innovative materials, consumer acceptance, composting studies and Life Cycle Assessments are presented. The aim of this project is to implement research results in a real fashion industry context, focusing on speed of use and maximising fabric value retention in products.

The Service Shirt developed by Professor Rebecca Earley is designed to last for over 50 years. The concept garment explores the multiple complexities, challenges and opportunities associated with design for circular business models in extended use contexts. The Service Shirt was designed as a ‘deliberate extreme’ to have a total lifecycle of 50 years. This lifecycle includes in-house and external remanufacturing processes, as well as various use cycles – often moving between single ownership and rental and sharing contexts. It becomes the lining for a jacket and then crafted in to fashion accessories, before finally being chemically regenerated in the year 2068.

On the opposite side of the spectrum the Fast-Forward concept, developed by Prof Kay Politowicz and Dr Kate Goldsworthy, explores alternative modes of production and use for a sustainable ‘fast-fashion’ application. Advantages with regards to climate impact are enabled through lighter material choices, nonwoven fabric production, no launder, clear routes to recovery and redistributed manufacturing systems. A sliding scale of ‘speed’ from ultra-fast forward through to a more widely accepted length of use, with adaptations to production processes and end of life, is presented. The prototypes are made from a new bio-based nonwoven material co-developed with Dr Hjalmar Granberg at RISE Research Institute of Sweden & University of the Arts London. The composition of the paper is a mix of cellulose pulp and bio-based PLA fibre, making the garment 100% biodegradable or recyclable in existing paper recycling systems.

Working closely with industry partner Filippa K made commercial testing possible. By implementing research into existing value chains, Filippa K was able to produce a coat that is 100% recycled and recyclable, as well as a concept dress that is 100% bio-based and biodegradable. The garments are a part of Filippa K’s Front Runner series and will be available in selected stores on November 26th. With a focus on products’ length of use and maximizing fabric value retention, Filippa K are dedicated to becoming fully circular by 2030.

“Being part of the fashion industry comes with many challenges, especially when considering the fact that we are the second most polluting industry after oil. Our industry needs to change and we believe adapting to circular models, like nature’s ecosystem, is one important solution. We want to be able to offer beautiful clothing and to make business within the planetary boundaries.”
- Elin Larsson, Sustainability Director, Filippa K

To validate the design research presented, a Life Cycle Assessment was performed on the prototypes. Mistra Future Fashion affiliated Dr. Greg Peters, Chalmers University of Technology, together with additional LCA Researchers at RISE, conclude that the production of fibres and fabrics are the main processes impacting the environment during the garment life cycles. Therefore, to extend the lifetime of existing garments and design for re-use, as done in the Service Shirt, is indeed the superior alternative compared to a reference garment.

“Compared with garments of the same mass, the extended life garments represent a large improvement in environmental performance over the reference garments, outperforming the reference garments in all effect categories. This superiority is primarily a consequence of avoiding garment production via reprinting and reassembly of the initial garment to extend its useful life.”
- Dr Greg Peters, LCA Researcher at Chalmers University of Technology

Another way to circumvent the impacts of fast fashion is to develop materials with considerably lower impacts during production, and which also avoid the barriers to recycling faced by conventional garments. Instead of hinder consumers from buying new, the act of acquiring a new garment could in fact be sustainable. The paper-based short life garments considered in this assessment show considerable impact savings when compare to the benchmark garment. Dr. Peters says,

“The paper-based garments benefit from the lower impacts of the material (fibre production, spinning and knitting) compared with conventional cotton, from their relatively light weight and also on account of the lower impacts in garment production and use.”

This year Swiss company Schoeller Textil AG, is celebrating 150 years of tradition and future opportunities. As a global textile solutions brand, the company specializes in the development and production of innovative technical fabrics and smart textile finishing technologies. What began as Switzerland’s first worsted yarn spinning mill in 1868, has achieved worldwide recognition for its high-tech textiles and its dedication to sustainability. For its more than 500 brand partners in 50 countries, Schoeller produces an average of over six million meters of performance textiles per year in its mills in Sevelen, Switzerland and Balingen, Germany.

When Rudolph Schoeller established what would be called “Schoeller & Sohne” in Zurich in 1868, it was within an age of ground-breaking achievement and progress inspired by the beginnings of the Swiss Red Cross and the completion of the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. Schoeller quickly expanded its business and in 1954 went on to purchase a textile mill in Sevelen, located in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley, which currently serves as the company’s headquarters. That mill would soon launch the very first elastic fabric for the ski industry – or the world’s very first soft shell fabric – under the name “skifans.”

• Additives, pigments and masterbatches for transportation, packaging, textiles & fibers
• Support to “future-proof” medical applications
• Contributing towards more sustainable engineering plastics

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, turns the spotlight on its increasing on-the-ground support and innovation focus for North America’s four key plastics application segments at NPE 2018 Booth S18155.

Clariant is pushing forward with plans for growth in the region by advancing R&D competencies, and increasing its manufacturing footprint and technical capabilities across its 50+ sites, 3 R&D and 6 technical innovation centers. Clariant’s innovations for the plastics industry include advanced additives, masterbatches and pigments which support the packaging sector in engaging consumers via differentiated, convenient solutions. At NPE, it will also highlight solutions for enhancing and protecting healthcare products, as well as its contribution to stronger and colorful textiles and fibers for everything from e-mobility to industrial applications.

Deepak Parikh, president of region North America, Clariant comments: “Clariant’s product innovation for the US and wider North American plastics industry embraces the region’s fastest growing end-use areas of automotive and construction. It also addresses the impact of trends driven by changing consumer lifestyle preferences and market regulations on other important segments such as packaging and healthcare.”

Transportation
Clariant brings color and protection to support the increasing use of engineering plastics and high temperture resins in automotive interiors, exteriors and under-the-hood. Halogen-free Exolit® OP 1400 provides outstanding flame retardancy to polyamide parts, enhances safety with UL 94 V0 performance down to 0.4 mm and enables the molding of complex parts with no mold deposits and blooming. Exolit OP 1400 has been awarded the Clariant EcoTain®label for outstanding sustainability and performance. At the same time, Clariant offers low-halogen controlled high-performance PV Fast® pigmentswith excellent migration and weather fastness properties to meet the high requirements of today’s transportation and automotive industry. Easy processing Renol® compounds and masterbatches for engineering and high temperature resins provide heat and light stability, and flame retardancy, while maintaining critical flow properties in parts like SMT connectors. Importantly, they are available as small lots which enables customers to purchase only what they require and contribute to a reduction in their carbon footprint.

Packaging
As US packaging manufacturers explore more consumer-friendly, lighterweight and appealing solutions, Clariant is on hand to support their functionality, sustainability-related and color desires. Clariant Pigments has an innovative cooperation with Konica Minolta and matchmycolor to enable fast, precise and efficient color matching of HDPE products, using select organic PV Fast and Graphtol® pigments that comply with FDA regulations. The ColorWorks®center in Chicago is dedicated to US brand managers and designers with teams of color design experts to create color formulations faster than ever before for bottles, caps, closures and films.

According to market reports, plastic pouches are gaining share from traditional pack types in packaged food and are mainstream in home care. To support smoother and more environmentally-compatible processing especially for film applications, Clariant offers an FDA-compliant, vegetable-based powder amide wax, Licolub® FA 1, which acts as a slip and anti-block agent. It is suitable for polyolefins and PVC.

Textiles & Fiber
At NPE 2018, Clariant puts the focus on strong and colorful textiles, carpets and industrial fibers. New AddWorks® TFB 117 offers a number of benefits to help stabilize and smoothen fiber production processes, protect color, and improve heat stability and mechanical properties of fibers. AddWorks TFB 117 ensures smooth spinnability with less filaments breakage, even at low processing temperatures and at high speed spinning up to 5,500 m/min. Clariant also offers a broad range of colorants for polypropylene, polyester, polyamide and acrylic fibers, featuring migration fastness, chemical stability, light- and weather-fastness.

Healthcare
Clariant supports risk control and regulatory compliance for medical polymer and pharmaceutical packaging solutions. Its Mevopur® color and performance masterbatches and compounds include a USP Class 6 line of compliant products and multiple global ISO, 87, 88, and 661.1 certifications ahead of the market deadline. Clariant also offers selected FDA-compliant organic pigments and polymer soluble dyes that meet purity migration fastness as well as toxicological properties for medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging.

• Oerlikon integrates automation solutions for largescale plants in technology portfolio

Remscheid, Germany / Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland - Oerlikon announced today that it has acquired Germany-based AC-Automation GmbH & Co. KG, an engineering company specializing in large-scale plant automation solutions for the textile and packaging industries. The two companies have been partnering since the early 1980s. The integration of AC-Automation in Oerlikon expands the market-leading technology portfolio of its Manmade Fibers Segment. It also marks a milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing quest to offer innovative, fully automated and digitally networked Industry solutions in the manmade fiber industry.

The 60 employees at AC-Automation’s Bernkastel-Kues and Augsburg locations will become part of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment, which includes the leading brands Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag. The move will expand the Segment’s business model, adding another key core component to its current offering of production plants and technology solutions from melt to yarn, fibers, andnonwovens. Ultimately, Oerlikon will be able to offer customers a total solution from a single source, including automation logistics for packaging, high-bay storage, and other areas, which complement its current market-leading spinning and process technologies for the textile industry.

"We see our expanded overall offering as an Industry solution, reflecting the future of an even more efficient, digitized and profitable chemical fiber industry, especially for large-scale plants with daily production capacity of several hundred tons of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, or other manmade fibers,” explains Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Manmade Fibers Segment. Manmade fiber producers from China — the world’s most important market, generating more than 70 % of worldwide manmade fiber production — as well as companies from other fast-growing markets such as India, Turkey and the USA are also relying on automated and networked Industry total solutions.

"The acquisition and integration of AC-Automation’s automation solutions will provide new opportunities for our manmade fiber business. It enables the Segment to increasingly position itself as an Industry solution provider in combination with our own digitization solutions,” says Oerlikon Group CEO Dr. Roland Fischer. “As a leading provider of advanced materials, surface solutions and materials processing including the engineering and production of polymer plants, this acquisition marks another milestone in Oerlikon’s strategy to strengthen its businesses and thus sustain profitable growth.”

"After such a long partnership, we are excited to be able to benefit even more in the future as part of a global player in the textile industry. Our market access will further improve with the help of the Oerlikon
Group's sales and service network. For my employees, I am very pleased to be able to bring them into an international Group, in which there would be new opportunities and perspectives for them personally,”
said Rolf Gänz, AC-Automation’s Managing Director.

• Yarn Expo Spring’s status as Asia’s leading industry event attracts 15% more buyers
• National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
• Shanghai, China, 14 – 16 March

Yarn Expo continued its evolution into the industry’s most comprehensive and effective business platform with its Spring Edition which concluded last week with a large increase in the buyer figure, as well as another year of growth in the exhibitor number. Strong demand was evident for recent growth areas of the fair such as synthetic, fancy and specialty yarns as well as chemical fibres, while exhibitors in the more traditional cotton product group also fared well. In total, 435 exhibitors from 10 countries & regions took part (2017: 393, 12 countries & regions), attracting 25,966 trade buyers from 88 countries & regions (2017: 22,579, 94 countries & regions).

“Once again, Yarn Expo proved itself as the ideal trade fair for the industry to benefit from changing demands and product trends, especially in the Chinese and wider Asian markets,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd explained. “The fair has evolved in recent editions to have a much bigger focus on synthetic, fancy & specialty yarns and chemical fibres, and based on the exhibitor feedback during the fair, there was an increase in buyers sourcing these products this year. What’s more, local buyers were showing strong interest in the offerings from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, while Vietnamese cotton exhibitors reported increased orders from China due to the favourable trade policies between these countries.”

As one of the industry’s leading players, Birla Jingwei Fibres naturally plays a big role at Yarn Expo, with their Birla Planet pavilion proving highly successful for the company. Senior Vice President Mr Sachin Malik, explained: “Yarn Expo is a very important platform for Birla, to be visible to our value chain, to connect with our customers, and our own clients’ customers. We value Yarn Expo as a long-term partner for showcasing our products and connecting with the value chain. Each edition we connect with more and more buyers, and more customers in the industry recognise the importance of this fair. It has developed into a premium event in the global textile industry calendar. Usually this edition is quieter than the autumn fair, but the results this year saw the spring edition reach the same level. Our booth was always packed with buyers, and we also received more high-quality and international buyers. Our pavilion members are also very satisfied with the buyers and their results this time.”

Exhibitor comments

Indonesia

“Yarn Expo is an ideal platform to meet not only Chinese but also global buyers. The fair attracts so many good-quality buyers, and compared to other fairs attracts more of our target buyers. The results this edition have been good. After four years of doing business in China, we’ve found many Chinese customers who are willing to pay for quality. The demand in the China market for high-quality products is growing, in particular because of the shortage of spinning capacity which is made up for by imports. We’ve seen more serious and meaningful buyers that have strong desire for further cooperation this time, and I think the potential of this market will continue to grow.” Mr Anupam Agrawal, Director Spun Yarn Business, PT. Indo-Rama Synthetics Tbk

Korea

“Our booth was so crowded throughout the fair. We had more than 300 buyers visit us, and I guess approximately 30% of them will turn into business after the fair. Our target buyers are fabric and garment manufacturers, and we found a lot of good quality ones here. A wide range of worldwide buyers from different market sectors sourced at our booth, especially big-brand sportswear manufacturers and sourcing offices. We’ve had visitors from China, Europe and many other countries. We are very satisfied with our first Yarn Expo experience, and we expect a very good outcome after the show.” Mr Joo Son, International Sales Team, HJLite

Pakistan

“Yarn Expo is the global meeting platform for all yarn industry players. You have buyers from all over the world here, so it is the best trade platform in Asia to connect with worldwide buyers. We’ve met people from Argentina, Columbia, Korea, Indonesia, the UK and the US. Around 40% of them are new to us. We’ve noticed that everyone is looking for new products nowadays, so we always bring new items. Fancy yarn is getting more common in China, and demand is growing steadily. China is definitely a huge market for us to develop.” Mr Mohammad Saad, Director of Abtex Intl Ltd

India

“Yarn Expo is really helpful in that it has a diverse buyer profile and attracts buyers from around the world. We managed to talk to customers from Pakistan, India and Colombia, as well as potential Chinese buyers who are very interested in our products. The buyers have been genuine with specific sourcing needs, and some of them have already placed orders.” Mr N. Sarawgi, Representative of Madhusudan Rayons Pvt. Ltd

Thailand

“This edition we brought our new Kapok material to the fair for the first time. It has been the most popular product at our booth. In recent editions, we’ve also met more and more garment factories asking for customised fancy yarn to make their products competitive and unique, while eco-friendly and natural yarns are also more popular. Yarn Expo is the platform we announce our new products and technologies, and the feedback from buyers from around the world can help us improve them and learn the latest market trends. The fair is of great value for our market strategy.” Mr Warakorn Bunkanokwong, Export Sales Manager, Kongkiat Textile Co Ltd

Singapore

“We are here to explore the China market, but are also glad more customers from Europe and America visited our booth. Many of the buyers here are at the decision-making level, so can give us clear requirements and advice about our products. This is a highly effective fair to meet Chinese buyers to learn first-hand what the market needs.” Mr Rahul Gupta, Marketing Manager, Texvista Intl Pte Ltd

Vietnam

“Yarn Expo is a great chance to meet our existing partners and find new buyers. Compared to China cotton yarn, we still have an advantage in price and quality which attracts a lot of buyers to our booth. Yarn Expo provides us with a quick way to tap into the Chinese and Asian markets.” Mr Du Xuan Cuu, Trade Director, Hanam Textile Co

Uzbekistan

“The Chinese market is important to us, so we chose to exhibit in Yarn Expo. We have met many buyers here, and each year we can find new customers through Yarn Expo. The international nature of this fair is also beneficial for our business.” Mr Dilshod, Export Manager, Exoeast Trade LLP

China

“Yarn Expo is the largest platform in Asia. Compared to other fairs, the buyers here are of higher quality; genuine buyers make up a large portion and most of them come with sourcing intentions. Currently, fancy yarn is in great demand in the market. The number of customers looking for such products is significantly higher this year, and Yarn Expo can effectively help us capture this demand.”
Ms Stella Gan, Sales Manager, Jin Dun Textile

Buyer comments

“We can find all ranges of cotton yarn, fancy yarn and chemical fibres at Yarn Expo. Most of the famous brands are here, and they bring the latest technologies and products, including debut products. Yarn Expo always catches the latest trends in the industry and presents them at the fair. This year the quantity and quality of fancy yarn exhibitors has increased, so I’ve found some products to source already.” Mr Wang Gaofeng, Deputy General Manager, Jiaxing Jinqie Fashion Co Ltd, China

“We mainly came to source fancy yarn this time, and we found many new options. This international show greatly expands our sourcing options. Many of our existing suppliers, including from Indonesia, exhibit at this fair so that’s why we source here. We’re satisfied with the exhibitor quality, and intend to place orders afterwards. There have been a number of new technologies presented here that left a deep impression on us.” Ms Linggar Jati Halim, Director, PT. Kartika Sinar Mulia, Indonesia

“I like this fair as it gathers exhibitors from the entire industry supply chain. As the demand for functional fabrics continues to increase, we can also see this trend in Yarn Expo. Therefore, the fair helps us to learn about the industry’s developments.” Mr Jiang Chang, Marketing Manager, Hangzhou Gaoxi Technology Co Ltd, China

The next Yarn Expo fair, the Autumn Edition, will be held at the earlier date of 27 – 29 September 2018, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. 

The market for the production of carpet yarn is increasingly evolving towards more demanding processes. However, beyond commodity products, standard plants can no longer fully exploit their advantages. From 20th to 22nd March 2018, Oerlikon Neumag will be presenting an economical alternative in Shanghai in hall W3, booth F03 at the Domotex asia/Chinafloor, the leading floor covering trade fair in the Asia-Pacific region: the BCF plant Sytec One with single-end technology.

If the requirements for the production of BCF yarns increase, for example, from recycled polyester or fine filaments, then this can also lead to higher breakage rates. Highly standardised production plants must then often strike compromises with regard to throughput, quality or cost-efficiency. In such cases, the Sytec One offers a good solution instead of the mostly three-end technology plants for standard processes.

Single-end technology with 98% productivity

This BCF plant works with only one yarn (end) per position, making it ideal for demanding production processes. The reason: when a yarn break occurs only one yarn tears, all other yarns continue to run. This not only simplifies troubleshooting, it also reduces the re-threading time. In addition, less waste is produced. As a result, the productivity of the Sytec One is still over 98% for ten breakages a day, while a plant with three-end technology only reaches around 92%.

Faster processes due to a straight yarn path

In addition, the absolutely straight yarn path of the Sytec One enables significantly higher process speeds of up to 15% in spinning and texturing processes compared to multi-end technologies. Higher total titers of up to 6,000 dtex can also be produced without any problems. The gentle yarn guidance also ensures minimum friction on the individual filaments. This means less yarn breaks and a more stable process.

Optimised key component: spinning pack

Last but not least, the engineers at Oerlikon Neumag have developed a new design for the spinning pack. This central component of every BCF machine significantly influences the yarn quality. The corresponding solution for the Sytec One optimises the polymer flow in the spin pack, thus reducing the polymer dwell time. This leads to shorter product and colour change times and increases the plant efficiency. In addition, the spinning packs were widened so that yarns with up to 500 filaments can now be produced.

The product mix is decisive

In view of these advantages, the single-end Sytec One is recommended for processes with high breakage rates, fine filaments, frequent colour changes or in general when demanding processes take up an increasing share in the business. "The product mix is decisive for the choice of technology," sums up Alfred Czaplinski, Sales Manager BCF at Oerlikon Neumag. "We are happy to advise on the optimal solution and offer both single-end and three-end plant technologies." 

Good business at the Domotex Hanover, Germany

In the run-up to the trade fair, the Domotex Hanover in mid-January was already proving to be a promising harbinger. With four lively trade fair days and contract conclusions in the lower double-digit million euro range, mainly from the European and Asian markets, the order intake for Oerlikon Neumag was very good.

Cost-efficient BCF yarn production for demanding processes with Sytec One from Oerlikon Neumag

Cost-efficient production of carpet yarns beyond commodity products can constitute a challenge. Highly standardized production systems must strike compromises with regard to throughput, quality or cost-efficiency. At the Domotex 2018, the world's largest trade fair for floor coverings, Oerlikon Neumag will present the Sytec One solution for demanding BCF processes.

The Sytec One is a BCF plant with only one end per position. Due to this single-end characteristic, it is particularly well suited for demanding production processes, such as recycled polyester or fine filaments. The reason: In the event of a yarn break, only one end breaks. All the other positions are not affected and continue to run. As a result, this plant has a higher efficiency compared with a multi-end technology plant. For example, with ten breaks a day, the efficiency of the Sytec One is still over 98%, while a threeend technology achieves only 92% efficiency.

Higher productivity due to the straight yarn path

The machine concept of the Sytec One with its absolutely straight yarn path in spinning and texturing also enables significantly higher process speeds compared to multi-end technologies. This results in a speed increase of up to 15%. In addition to standard processes, more demanding processes with higher break rates play an increasingly important role. "The product mix is critical to the choice of technology," said Martin Rademacher, vice president of sales Oerlikon Neumag. "We are in the comfortable position of being able to offer our customers both a single-end and a three-end technology."

At Heimtextil, which is to be held in Frankfurt from 9 to 12 January 2018, Trevira GmbH will be represented together with some important Trevira CS clients in Hall 4.2 at a 1,305 m2 booth.
The core of this joint booth will be a Trevira exhibition. Participating clients will present their latest Trevira CS collections for home textiles and commercially used textiles at individual stands around this core exhibit. The joint stand is located in close proximity to the new exhibition “Interior. Architecture. Hospitality. EXPO” of Messe Frankfurt.
“We are delighted to be able to make a significant contribution to the new thematic focus of Hall 4.2 with our trade fair concept for next year. It enables us to offer a platform to our clients allowing them to reach important decision-makers. In

addition, visitors to the trade fair will appreciate being able to find such a large number of Trevira CS novelties and collections in a one-stop-shop,” says Anke Vollenbröker, Head of Marketing at Trevira GmbH.
Trevira CEO Klaus Holz is pleased that the idea of a joint stand has been so well received by their clients. “The high level of demand shows that our concept of a comprehensive partnership with our clients pays off. Our long-standing clients appreciate that we not only offer them high quality and sustainably produced fibres and yarns, but that we also support them with our technical expertise and in marketing their Trevira fabrics.”

The following clients will be represented with a large selection of their beautiful and modern Trevira CS fabrics at the joint booth in January: Baumann Dekor Ges.m.b.H., Engelbert E. Stieger AG, FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A., Jenny Fabrics AG, Johan van den Acker Textielfabriek B.V., Mattes & Ammann GmbH & Co. KG, Pugi R.G. S.R.L., Spandauer Velours GmbH & Co. KG, SR Webatex GmbH / Getzner Textil AG, Swisstulle AG, Tessitura Mario Ghioldi & C. srl, Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche S.p.A., Torcitura Lei Tsu S.r.l., Vlnap a.s. / Wagenfelder Spinning Group, Wintex S.r.l., Mersem Teksil San. Ve Tic. Ltd. Sti, Teksko Kadife Kumas San. Ve Tic. A.S.

 PHP Fibers will open a state of the art airbag fabric weaving and finishing plant in its German production site Obernburg, near Aschaffenburg. The new facility will be embedded into the Nylon high-tenacity spinning plant and is based on technology provided by Toyobo Co., Ltd. Toyobo has airbag fabric weaving operations in Asia and the technology is currently used in the USA at PHP Fibers Inc. with great success.
The German weaving operation will have 47 water jet weaving machines and will use Polyamide 6.6 yarn from its own spinning facility. “This strategic investment will drive PHP Fibers closer to the automotive producers in Germany and Europe,” said Jochen Boos, Managing Director of PHP Fibers. “This investment is a clear commitment on the part of our owners to the site in Germany.”

The Business Director Volker Siejak added, “PHP Fibers was the pioneer in the development and production of airbag yarns. With this investment, PHP will be able to complete its portfolio and can offer yarns and fabrics for airbag application which our customers need. By this we will continue to be successful and we can strengthen the position of PHP Fibers as a market leader in the Airbag segment.”