From the Sector

Disruptor technology and a new ColorCut LCF520 roll-to-roll label cutter will be showcased at Labelexpo 2025 on the Plockmatic Group stand. Along with the LCF500 and a technology demonstration of a 4-bladed LCF840Di, designed to eliminate rotary flexi die-cutting, the digital system enables converters – both large and small – to save up to thousands of Euros per job order.   

Large, complex, high precision rotary flexi dies can cost thousands of euros for converters – and getting one from a third-party die manufacturer typically takes 1-2 days. But with Plockmatic Group’s ColorCut LCF range of all-in-one solutions for volume roll-to-roll production, new unique customer orders can be completed on the fly, for ultra short-run digital label production avoiding time-wasting flexi die-cutting. 

Based on the same chassis as the single-bladed ColorCut LCF500 launched earlier this year, the new Plockmatic LCF520 has two blades and unique, patented auto tracking automation to ensure highest cutting accuracy. 

A wide range of shapes and label sizes can be produced on the LCF family, which offers precise, powerful, and easily managed cut functions via its built-in control centre. It includes the added benefit to apply laminates when required using integrated lamination capabilities, along with a range of finishing options for labels, such as waste matrix removal and slitting for finished rolls.

In addition, at Labelexpo Plockmatic will have a prototype behind a screen for a new ColorCut label cutter LCF840Di with 4 heads. Important features include digital web tracking from the infeed table and automated waste removal. This new model is expected to be launched at the end of the year, with sales starting from Q1 2026.

This new model is expected to be launched at the end of the year, with sales starting from Q1 2026.

With a show theme of “Relax – Taking the Stress out of Digital Finishing”, Plockmatic Group’s stand at Labelexpo at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain, from 16-19 September 2025 will host a wide range of label, cutting and finishing systems for label and flexible packaging markets. Other specific machines include the entry-level LC330 Automated label cutting machine, the Color Cut LC700 Pro for professional applications runs and the ColorCut LC6500 compact, on-demand digital sheet cutter, which is crossover product from labels into light packaging applications, POS and lightweight card projects, as well as kiss-cutting.

“The new LCF520 roll-to-roll label spotlighted at Labelexpo is the newest family member in our disruptor technology that will eliminate the need for rotary flexi die-cutting for converters,” said Terri Winstanley, Marketing Manager, Packaging & Labels, Plockmatic Group UK. “It has the potential to save hundreds of euros, sometimes thousands, per job order. Other benefits include web-to-print label applications in extremely short run, same day dispatch plus converters can save on space where conventional dies used to be stored.”

She added: “The showcasing of this ColorCut LCF520 digital label cutter at Labelexpo will mark another important milestone for Plockmatic Group, as will the prototype LCF840Di that will also be on our stand. We’re anticipating a lot of interest from visitors.”

Artificial intelligence has long been part of design – precise, efficient, omnipresent. At the same time, there is a growing desire for the handmade, for intuition and irregularity. It is exactly within this field of tension that the Heimtextil Trends 26/27 unfold: under the central theme of ‘Craft is a verb’, they show how high-tech, and craftsmanship are not contradictory, but open up new creative perspectives together.

Together with the founders of Alcova, Heimtextil presents a trend landscape in which craftsmanship and digital design methods merge. Tangible textures meet generative patterns, natural structures meet algorithmic precision. This does not create a contrast, but rather an interplay: where traditional craft techniques reach their limits, artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities. This gives rise to a new type of player: the techno-craftsman. He does not see digital tools as competition, but as an extension of his toolkit. Heimtextil Trends 26/27 thus address the current challenges of the creative industry: AI streamlines processes but raises questions about control and creative identity. The trends therefore focus on the lasting importance of craftsmanship – and how AI can meaningfully complement and support it. 

‘The Heimtextil Trends 26/27 illustrate how artificial intelligence will change the textile industry and, in combination with craftsmanship, opens up new perspectives. They provide the industry with impulses for sustainable production methods, innovative cooperation models and the development of future-proof business strategies,’ says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

Alcova is not just about material and aesthetic trends. Rather, the curators focus on an attitude towards the mindful use of AI in design – as a complement to human creativity and as a means of relief and inspiration. This perspective also shapes their work: ‘At Alcova, we are drawn to objects and processes that are unexpected, experimental, even a little unruly – yet somehow find their way into our homes,’ explains Valentina Ciuffi from Alcova. ‘What surrounds us each day should provoke, raise questions, and invite conversation. That's why our focus is on projects that anticipate trends rather than chase them,’ adds Joseph Grima from Alcova. 

Six key trends at a glance
Six key trends illustrate how this fusion of craftsmanship and technology is manifesting itself in concrete terms. They open up different perspectives on how AI and manual design will interact in the future.

1.    Re: media
Textiles that emerge from the interplay of digital design and handcraft: drawings are first transferred into digital renderings, then converted back into jacquards or hand-embroidered patterns. This results in works that reveal the tension between different media. Motifs inspired by glitches – broken aesthetics, pixelated colour gradients and digitally reworked hand drawings can be expected.

2.    Visible co-work
AI provides the designs, humans complete them: in these works, the boundaries between craftsmanship and code become blurred. The design is created using artificial intelligence and is completed through skilled craftsmanship. Examples include digitally embroidered linen, 3D knitted patchwork pieces and generative patterns on classic fabrics.

3.    Sensing nature
Nature is the original source of inspiration here. Its forms, rhythms and structures reveal a diversity that is waiting to be decoded. Digital tools take on the role of translators: the rough surface of the ocean is transformed into a textile grid, while the lichen patterns growing over rocks are turned into decorative motifs through algorithmic processing.

4.    A playful touch
At a time when design is characterised by functionality and optimisation, small decorative details are coming back into focus – not for practical reasons, but for pleasure. A ruffle on an otherwise minimalist curtain, a neon element on a natural-coloured linen blanket or an unexpectedly placed tassel: such gestures act as deliberate interruptions. They remind us that joy remains an essential part of design – and that textiles can also have humour.

5.    Crafted irregularity
Fabrics with knots, irregular dyeing, visible seams and asymmetrical finishes take centre stage. These materials do not hide the craftsmanship but emphasise it – as a conscious counterpoint to the flawless perfection of AI-assisted design.

6.    The uncanny valley
Technical elements such as wires, connections and coils are no longer hidden but deliberately displayed and showcased. They appear as visible details and draw the eye to the inner workings of the machine, rather than its flawless surface. This results in designs that reveal what is hidden – and, with their playful expression, unfold something strange, almost alien.

The colour palette of Heimtextil Trends 26/27
The colour palette ranges from down-to-earth tones to digital irritation: shades such as sand, clay, soot, olive and tree bark convey stability, materiality and connection. However, this natural calm is deliberately disrupted by sharp, synthetic accents such as acidic green, digital lilac and bright screen blue. These ‘glitches’ create tension and turn the colour scheme into a vibrant statement.

From 13 to 16 January 2026, the Heimtextil Trends 26/27 will be presented in an interactive format in the Trend Arena in Hall 6.1.

At the forthcoming ITMA Asia + CITME textile machinery exhibition in Singapore this October, Monforts will introduce the new VertiDry, a vertical dryer for use in combination with coating machines, padders or Monforts EcoApplicator units in the special finishing of technical textiles.

The fully contactless and energy optimised convection dryer is intended for use in combination with a stenter, either before or after it, depending on the specific application, for the essential pre-drying of sensitive fabrics, as well as after the coating of airbags, denim fabrics and glass-fibre substrates. Other envisaged applications include the finishing of sportswear, outerwear, carpets, geotextiles and tarpaulins.

The VertiDry can be integrated into both new and existing finishing lines. A single unit can accommodate approximately eight metres of fabric at any given time and multi-storey versions are also possible. This makes it very adaptable to finishing line configurations.

Power options
In addition, the VertiDry can be powered by all available heating sources, or combinations of heating sources depending on the most economic route for the individual mill. The unit is further equipped with an integrated exhaust air duct and can also be connected to a heat recovery system such as the Monforts Energy Tower.

Different nozzle types are available for the unit which will be supplied pre-erected for shortest installation times. 

“The new VertiDry has been designed in response to demands from the market for a space and energy saving vertical dryer to fulfil the demand in terms of CO2 reduction and the need to integrate into special processes, especially in the treatment of technical textiles,” says Monforts Marketing Manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “With its contactless drying it will help our customers to produce a wide range of high-quality, added value fabrics efficiently and economically.”

Mimaki launched the Print Different podcast, designed to bring fresh insights, stories, and conversations from the world of digital printing.

The first episode - “Sustainability in Textile Printing” – marks the beginning of a series dedicated to exploring trending topics in digital print: from innovation and sustainability to customer success stories and the future of our industry.

The Mimaki podcast series will be available exclusively on the new Mimaki EMEA YouTube channel – a hub for product overviews, tutorials, customer stories, and more - and on Spotify. 

OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in the field of electric powertrains are under increasing pressure to improve performance, efficiency, and scalability of their drive systems. One key enabler now reaching industrial mass-production: composite-based rotor sleeves. These lightweight, high-performance components offer significant advantages in terms of mechanical containment of rotor components to achieve more efficient designs for high-speed rotation – especially in demanding automotive, aerospace and industrial applications. 

Following nine months of collaborative research, a consortium of 15 leading companies – Arkema Group, Covenstro Deutschland AG, DOMO Engineering Plastics Europe S.p.A., Hexcel Composites SASU, Huntsman Advanced Materials, Hutchinson SA CRI, Kümpers GmbH, LG Electronics Deutschland GmbH, Maru Hachi Corporation, Rassini Supensiones S.A. de C.V., Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik GmbH, Swancore Netherlands B.V., Syensqo, Toray Carbon Fibres Europe S.A., Toyota Motor Europe N.V./S.A.  – has completed a comprehensive analysis and benchmarking project led by AZL Aachen GmbH. The project systematically analysed the state of the art, compared materials, design strategies, and processing methods for rotor sleeves made from thermoset and thermoplastic carbon fibre composites. The result is a comprehensive market and technology analysis, documented in a 384-page final report – and ready to be implemented into cooperations.  

To support OEMs and motor developers in leveraging these findings, AZL is now hosting a dedicated web meeting – designed specifically to demonstrate the practical relevance, supply chain maturity, and technology details of composite rotor sleeves for electric drives. Participation is free of charge. 

The event will provide a strategic overview of the technology’s capabilities and will highlight the concrete potential for integration into series production. It starts with an introduction to the current state of the technology and its role in enabling the next generation of electric motors. AZL will then present the consolidated results from the project’s work packages. Key insights include comparisons of rotor sleeve designs (press-fit vs. direct-wound), material classes (thermoplastic and thermoset carbon composites), mechanical and thermal performance benchmarks and production KPIs.  

In the second part of the meeting, participants will get the opportunity to meet the consortium behind the recently finished project – from composite material suppliers and machine manufacturers to rotor sleeve producers. Each partner will briefly pitch their unique expertise and offerings, helping OEMs identify reliable contacts for implementation projects.  

Fabian Köster, Development Engineer Composites at Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik GmbH, explains: “As a technology leader and high-volume manufacturer in the field of rotor sleeves, Schunk considers it essential to actively shape innovation. Our participation in the AZL project reflects our strong belief that future viability and competitiveness can only be secured through early involvement in technological developments. The AZL info event offers OEMs and partners across the entire value chain a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on the current state of rotor sleeve technologies, explore emerging trends, and collaboratively develop solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.”  

For OEMs, this event provides not only an update on emerging technology, it also offers direct access to a ready-to-engage partner network. It also marks the official launch of a follow-up experimental project. 

This follow-up initiative will shift from theoretical analysis to experimental validation. Its goal is to benchmark the performance of different material and process combinations under real-world production and operating conditions. 

The follow project includes four work packages. The first work package will define the production concepts and materials to be tested experimentally, including the design of test methods and auxiliary equipment for press fit operations. The second work package is targeting a production process consisting of separate winding and press fitting on the rotor. It includes manufacturing of sleeves using wet winding, towpreg winding and thermoplastic tape winding. Strength testing of the sleeves will consider different prestress levels, while also the quality of the laminate will be evaluated. The third work package will do the same, but in this case for a process, directly winding on the rotor. Evaluation will also include high temperature testing and long-term durability. Finally in the fourth work package all process and strength test results will be evaluated on cost, quality, and performance, leading to benchmarking of various materials, and clear recommendations for cost efficient rotor sleeves. 

The web meeting, hosted on September 25th, is open to OEMs, motor developers, innovation managers, and system integrators seeking to accelerate their next electric powertrain generation. A registration link will be provided for all interested participants. Contact Philipp Fröhlig (philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de) for a registration link.