From the Sector

Process control, intelligent automation and long-term industrial reliability remain the shared priorities that continue to define members of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association.

“Across different stages of textile and material production, TMAS members are united by a common belief that productivity begins with stability,” says TMAS General Secretary Therese Premler-Andersson. “Rather than focusing on isolated machine functions, the emphasis is on controlling the critical variables that directly influence quality, efficiency and uptime.”

Examples of this approach will be demonstrated at Messe Frankfurt’s forthcoming Techtextil and Texprocess exhibitions taking place concurrently in Frankfurt from April 21-24.

Operational value
In weaving and related processes for example, Vandewiele Sweden AB has long-standing expertise in weft feeding and tension control. At Techtextil 2026 in Hall 12 stand C21, company experts will be on hand to explain how, through ensuring repeatable, predictable yarn delivery at ever higher loom speeds, it is enabling weaving mills to operate closer to their technical limits while maintaining fabric quality. 

The company’s continued development of data-ready weft feeders reflects a broader approach to digitalisation, embedding intelligence where it delivers clear operational value rather than adding complexity to already demanding production environments.

Quality assurance
Eltex of Sweden addresses the same challenge from a complementary angle. Its electronic yarn sensors and tension monitoring systems focus on early detection, identifying yarn breaks, end-outs or abnormal tension before they lead to waste, downtime or quality claims. From weaving and warping through to tufting, braiding, quilting and sewing, Eltex technology provides the assurance that modern automated processes depend on. As production speeds increase and manual supervision is reduced, the ability to monitor yarn behaviour in real time becomes a key enabler of stable, high-quality output.

At Techtextil 2026, Eltex will highlight its latest EyETM Multiact system for heat setting machines, guaranteeing yarn consistency throughout the entire process via individual yarn tension monitoring and control according to a predefined reference tension. 

Each channel operates independently and the system also includes a machine stop function in the event of yarn breakage or if yarn tension operates outside preset limits.

Also showcased, will be the ACT-R system for rapier weaving machines which is highly effective in achieving constant weft yarn tension for yarns based on recycled fibres at one end of the scale, and for expensive technical yarns such as Kevlar at the other.

Consistency
Further downstream, BW Converting, extends this focus on control and assurance into dyeing and finishing. 

Following the runaway success of the company’s Baldwin TexCoat G4 finishing system in the past few years, the Baldwin TexChroma digital spray dyeing system is currently being launched.

“Since its introduction, global textile finishers have embraced TexCoat and are now reaping the benefits,” says vice-president of global business development Rick Stanford. “They have been able to increase profitability, cut energy use and reduce their carbon footprint, in addition to exercising precision control with our patented precision spray technology. In the past two years we have been very active in Asia, and many of these customers have been asking for a similar technology for the dyeing process.” 

From production data to date, TexChroma can achieve savings in energy, dyes and chemicals of more than 30% compared to conventional continuous pad batch dyeing using steam, and up to 50% compared to exhaust reactive dyeing. 

It also benefits from an advanced technology enabling reactive dyestuffs and alkali fixation chemicals to be mixed just seconds before spray application, in order to completely eliminate any ‘tailing and listing’– uneven dye application or colour variations.

Eton aUPS
Meanwhile, at Texprocess, Eton Systems will outline how Industry 4.0 and AI are further boosting the capabilities of its aUPS (AI powered unit production system) technologies.

Eton Systems productivity and management system have a positive impact on the productivity of thousands of production lines for a range of industries. Designed to increase value-added time in production by eliminating manual transportation and minimising handling, the individually addressable product carriers are now fully managed and controlled by the company’s advanced software.

The UPS works perfectly for mass production but provides companies with an extra competitive edge through its ability to quickly respond to special custom- made orders - even without disrupting an ongoing larger production batch. The aUPS is developed for circular garment identification, but the ambition is also to cover quality control in future linear production.

The individually addressable product carriers of these fully automated and digitised handling solutions for finished garments, home textiles and furniture are fully managed and controlled by the latest ETONingenious™ software.

This web based real-time data collection and information system continuously accumulates, processes, and makes all production information instantly available to supervisors, quality control personnel, and management.

Precision slitting
Also at Texprocess Svegea will demonstrate its EC 200-C colarette cutter as well as an FA 350 fully automatic roll slitting machine.
 
Svegea’s colarette technology is used by knit garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements.  

“In Europe, while the garment manufacturing sector is relatively limited in size, interest in these machines has increased in recent years, mainly driven by logistics, cost and lead-time considerations as production moves closer to the market,” says Svegea Managing Director Håkan Steene. “The ongoing shortage of skilled operators has also increased the demand for such automated solutions.”
 
Svegea’s fully automatic FA 350 roll slitting machine meanwhile addresses a wider range of needs for roll conversion within the technical textiles sector, combining high capacity with very low power consumption and providing extremely accurate cutting precision. Capable of cutting both knitted and woven fabrics – including those produced from a wide range of technical fibres – it can accommodate different shaft sizes and is fully electronically controlled with servo motors. The touchscreen interface has recently been redesigned and expanded with new functions, including automatic control of the knife surface speed during the cutting cycle, maintaining consistent cutting conditions as the roll diameter decreases for improved cutting quality and material handling.
 
Bespoke bias cutting systems are another speciality of the company, for specifically contoured technical textile-based components.

Essential foundation
A second theme linking all TMAS members in Frankfurt is a shared response to the economic realities facing textile manufacturers worldwide. 

“Rather than promoting automation as an abstract objective, Swedish machinery suppliers focus on tangible productivity gains that help manufacturers in high-cost regions remain competitive,” says Premler-Andersson. “Reduced waste, higher uptime and repeatable quality are the essential foundations for sustainable manufacturing. 

On Monday, February 09, Xu Hongjie signed the purchase agreement for Mayer & Cie. The Chinese entrepreneur is thereby acquiring the company’s entire circular knitting business, including its subsidiaries in Vsetín (Czech Republic) and Jintan (China).

Xu Hongjie comes from a southern Chinese entrepreneurial family that has been running the company Huixing for almost 30 years. Huixing employs around 1,000 people and develops, manufactures and sells circular knitting machines worldwide. With machines under the Mayer & Cie. brand, Huixing aims to enter the premium segment in the future. As development and manufacturing are at the core of the Mayer & Cie. brand, the Albstadt site will continue to be of strategic importance going forward.
 
“We are very pleased that a future perspective has emerged for the company and for everything we associate with it,” says Wolfgang Müller. He has worked at Mayer & Cie. for many years as Head of Sales and, over the past weeks, has worked intensively with his colleagues and Xu Hongjie on a plan for the restart of Mayer & Cie.

The new owner returns his thanks and sincere gratitude to all the employees who supported him throughout the two-month negotiation process. He highlights Wolfgang Müller and Rainer Müller in particular: “They bestowed upon me courage and wisdom, serving as the ever-shining Big Dipper in the long night.”

Restart in several phases
For the company through which he intends to implement the restart of Mayer & Cie., Xu Hongjie has initially chosen the name “Blitzstart” (Lightning Start). The young Chinese entrepreneur does not (yet) speak German, but the 32-year-old did not choose the name by chance: In the coming weeks, the new owner plans to set up a small team to boost sales again and prepare the relaunch.

All employees will need to be rehired, as today’s signing of the purchase agreement marks the dissolution of the former Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG. For Xu Hongjie, a father of two, this means there will be no Chinese New Year celebrations this year. The holiday is celebrated on 17 February and is comparable in significance to Christmas. “There is a lot to do and very little time,” he says. “We need to make sure the company survives.”

The new owner’s goal is to gradually restart production in spring. In recent days, only assembly work has continued in the facilities on the outskirts of Albstadt-Tailfingen—machines already on order are scheduled to be delivered in the coming days—while production itself has come to a halt. Employees will also need to be brought back on board for this area.

Clear objectives
With Mayer & Cie. and its premium machines for single jersey, double jersey, interlock and jacquard, the Chinese textile entrepreneur intends to continue addressing textile innovators around the world. They should find “intelligent, reliable knitting technologies at Mayer & Cie.—developed in Albstadt, powered by our employees and designed for long-term use,” explains Xu Hongjie.
A customer-centric approach is particularly important to him: “We listen, we implement and we improve—and we do it fast,” says Xu. To underline what he means, he refers to his experience at the family-owned company Huixing: “If our customers have complaints about the machine we delivered, we make it better—once, twice, three times. And we do it as quickly as possible.”

This approach is part of Huixing’s recipe for success: Over the past three decades, the Chinese circular knitting machine manufacturer has established itself worldwide, particularly in the field of mattress ticking fabrics.

Production to remain in Albstadt
Xu Hongjie’s clearly stated goal is for Mayer & Cie. to remain what it is today: a German premium brand, developed and manufactured in Germany. “People love and trust brands with tradition,” says Xu Hongjie. “We are proud of the 120-year history and the technology within this company.”

At the same time, he emphasizes how important agility is to him—especially in development and in turning customer needs into solutions. “Our customers should see us as a partner.” Internal friction, for example caused by complex structures and lengthy processes, is not an option for him. “Simplify, digitize and renew” is the guiding principle.

From competitor to sister company
Huixing, headquartered in Shishi in China’s Fujian province, has evolved from a single machinery manufacturer into a diversified industrial group with a strong global footprint. With advanced manufacturing at its core, the group operates seven large-scale production sites, covers more than 300,000 square meters of modern facilities and has expanded its activities beyond textile machinery into areas such as software development, AI applications and industrial internet services.

With the acquisition of Mayer & Cie., Xu Hongjie is bringing together two strong names in circular knitting — a 120-year-old German premium brand and a fast-growing Chinese industrial group. Xu Hongjie describes the move as a landmark step guided by his “1+1=11” philosophy: not a simple addition, but a “chemical reaction, that unlocks synergy far beyond the expected”.

“We are honored to join Mayer, a great platform, and become part of this big family,” he says, stressing that the company’s core R&D and manufacturing base will remain in Albstadt, Germany. Xu Hongjie also underlines the cultural fit between the two organizations: “The more I have gotten to know the people at Mayer & Cie., the more I have felt like being part of a family — a family that knows its values and stands up for them.” He concludes: “In Chinese, Huixing means ‘connecting stars’. That is exactly what we aim to achieve with this step.”

The new owner
Xu Hongjie, aged 32, comes from the Chinese owner family behind Huixing, a family-run circular knitting machine manufacturer founded in 1998 with around 1,000 employees. He studied Business Management in China and the United Kingdom. This cross-cultural background enables him to understand the efficiency of Chinese manufacturing while respecting the technical rigor of German industry.

He has been actively involved in the family business for more than ten years, most recently focusing on sales and international business development. In addition to his entrepreneurial role, Xu serves as Chairman of the Shishi Young Entrepreneurs Association, where he is committed to supporting and mentoring the next generation of business leaders. He is also a member of the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Congress, representing the city of Shishi.

Rieter has successfully completed the acquisition of Barmag as of February 2, 2026. This strategically important acquisition makes Rieter the world’s leading system provider for natural and synthetic fibers. 

Barmag will be consolidated as of February 2, 2026, and integrated into the Rieter Group as the “Man-Made Fiber” Division. The management of Barmag will remain with the company. Georg Stausberg will continue to lead the division and report to Thomas Oetterli, CEO of Rieter. At the same time, he will join the Group Executive Committee.

The transaction is financed by the capital increase completed in October of last year as well as by long-term bank loans. In addition to substantial cash reserves in its operating units, Rieter also has a significantly increased revolving credit facility at its disposal.

Thomas Oetterli, CEO of Rieter: “Barmag’s know-how is a perfect fit for Rieter and will accelerate profitable growth as well as strengthen our market leadership in the important region of Asia. The acquired filament know-how will help to expand our areas of expertise as a system provider and further advance automation and digitization solutions. This is the start of a successful future together and an important milestone in the implementation of our corporate strategy.”