From the Sector

Nach dem German Innovation Award und dem German Design Award hat drapilux den German Brand Award in der Kategorie „Interior und Living“ für seine exzellente Markenstrategie erhalten.

Auf dem Markt ist drapilux nicht nur der Hersteller von Bezugs- und Dekorationsstoffen mit der größten Auswahl an intelligenten Funktionen, sondern hat diese überhaupt erst eingeführt. Sicherheit, Hygiene, Raumqualität und Akustik werden durch die Funktionen „flammstop“, „akustik“, „air“ und „bioaktiv“ der drapilux-Textilien erheblich verbessert.

Das spiegelt sich deutlich in der Corporate Identity wider: „drapilux hat mit seiner ‚Mehr als nur Stoff‘-Imagekampagne den Markenkern besser denn je auf den Punkt gebracht“, sagt Marketingleiter Markus Overbeck, der den German Brand Award in Berlin entgegennahm. So bezeichnet der Claim „Intelligence woven in“, zu Deutsch „gewebte Intelligenz“, die hohe Qualität der Textilien mit eingebauter Sicherheit, für die die Marke international bekannt ist.
       
Dass die Textilien „innere Werte“ besitzen und damit Kunden im Alltag einen echten Mehrwert bieten, wird anhand symbolhaft dargestellten Stoffnachbildungen sichtbar: Ein roter Stoff-Feuerlöscher, grüne Ohrenschützer aus Textil, ein blauer, gewebter Ventilator und eine rosafarbene Textil-Desinfektionsmittelflasche zeigen auf der Webseite, auf Messen, auf allen Kommunikationskanälen, wofür drapilux steht. Die vier Imagemotive sind zu den Sinnbildern für die Alleinstellungsmerkmale von drapilux geworden. „Die Strategie, für die die Marke ausgezeichnet wurde, bauen wir auch weiter aus. Dazu wird es eine weiterführende Kampagne geben, die noch im Laufe des Jahres starten wird“, so Overbeck.

Liberty Hotel in Offenburg

Wo früher Häftlinge hinter schweren Türen und Eisengittern ihre Strafe absaßen, herrscht heute Wohlfühlatmosphäre: Aus dem einstigen Offenburger Gefängnis wurde das Designhotel Liberty. Der Mix aus Original-Details, einem cleveren Lichtkonzept und hochwertigen Materialien verwandelte die ehemalige Strafanstalt in ein einzigartiges Objekt. Maßgefertigte Rollos und Dim Outs von drapilux erzeugen eine gemütliche Stimmung in verschiedenen Bereichen des Hotels.

Mehrere Jahre Planungs- und Bauphase waren erforderlich, den ehemals tristen Ort in ein Luxushotel mit 38 Zimmern und Suiten sowie großzügigen Aufenthaltsbereichen umzubauen. Verantwortlich für Konzept und Planung, die Gesamtgestaltung, Bauleitung und Generalunternehmung des kompletten Vorhabens zeichnet die Konrad Knoblauch GmbH aus Markdorf am Bodensee. „Bei der Umplanung galt es vor allem, das historische und bedrückende Erbe des Knastgebäudes mit der richtigen Portion an Unbeschwertheit zu versehen“, erläutert Katja Scharnagel, Projektverantwortliche bei Konrad Knoblauch. Für die Zimmer wurden hierzu beispielsweise zwei bis drei der beengten Zellen zusammengelegt und mit wohnlichen Elementen versehen. Die knapp 50 Dachfenster wurden mit passgenauen Faltrollos des drapilux-Artikels 795 bestückt und so zu angenehmen Lichtquellen.

Die alte Haftanstalt besteht aus zwei Backsteingebäuden, die heute die Hotelzimmer beherbergen. Verbunden werden die beiden Bauten nun durch einen transparenten Glaskubus. Darin befinden sich die Gemeinschaftsbereiche u. a. mit dem Spitzenrestaurant „Wasser & Brot“, einer Bar sowie der Lobby. „Eine Besonderheit in der Empfangshalle ist der „Teppich“. Er wurde nicht verlegt, sondern als Muster in den Betonboden eingefräst. An Gemütlichkeit fehlt es dennoch nicht“, erklärt Scharnagel das Konzept. Dazu erfolgte die Ausstattung äußerst sorgfältig – von Designerstücken bei der Möblierung bis zu bodentiefen Dim Outs (Artikel 243) aus dem Hause drapilux.

• Strenge Qualitätsnachweise für Objekttextilien

Deko-, Möbelstoffe und Gardinen haben eine ganze Reihe von Prüfungen zu bestehen, bevor sie in Krankenhäusern, Seniorenheimen, Hotels, Kreuzfahrtschiffen, Theatern, Kitas oder Schulen eingesetzt werden dürfen. Je nach Verwendungsbereich in öffentlichen Gebäuden muss beispielsweise der Nachweis der Schwerentflammbarkeit erfüllt sein.

„Es gibt eine Vielzahl an Anforderungen für nahezu jeden Bereich, die wir als deutscher Textilhersteller in Form von Zertifizierungen und Zulassungen zu Sicherheit, Langlebigkeit und Umweltverträglichkeit zu erfüllen haben“, erklärt Frank Wiedemann. Er ist Leiter der Qualitätssicherung bei Schmitz Textiles mit Produktionsstätte im nordrhein-westfälischen Emsdetten. Nur, wer wie Schmitz Textiles zertifiziert ist, darf Stoffe in bestimmten Märkten oder Anwendungsfeldern anbieten. drapilux, eine Marke von Schmitz Textiles, gehört zu den europaweit führenden Herstellern von flammhemmenden Stoffen für den Objektbereich.

Durchgeführt werden die Prüfungen von unabhängigen, akkreditierten Prüfinstituten und/oder staatlichen Behörden nach nationalen und internationalen Normen oder EU-Richtlinien. Auf der einen Seite sind das Management-Zertifizierungen für Qualität, Umwelt und Energie. Schmitz Textiles ist nach ISO 9001/ ISO 14001 und ISO 50001 durch die Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen (DQS) bewertet, auditiert und zertifiziert worden.

Auf der anderen Seite stehen die Produktzertifizierungen. „Vor allem zu erwähnen, ist die jährliche Fremdüberwachung unserer schwerentflammbaren Möbel-, Dekorationsstoffe und Stores von drapilux“, so Wiedemann. Einmal jährlich kontrolliert das staatliche Materialprüfungsamt Nordrhein-Westfalen (MPA NRW-Brandprüfzentrum Erwitte) die drapilux-Produkte auf Einhaltung der Schwerentflammbarkeit nach der DIN 4102 (Baustoffklasse B1). drapilux flammstop-Qualitäten sind somit nachweislich als schwerentflammbar eingestuft und weisen – im Gegensatz zu PVC-haltigen Stoffen – auch eine sehr geringe Rauchgasentwicklung im Brandfall auf.

Freiwillige Zertifizierung für noch mehr Sicherheit

Mit dieser jährlichen Fremdüberwachung geht Schmitz Textiles sogar über die gesetzlichen Vorschriften hinaus. „Die Zertifizierung zeigt an, dass unsere Produkte jederzeit die hohen Anforderungen des Brandschutzes für Baustoffe erfüllen. Damit können unsere Kunden sich der Qualität stets hundertprozentig sicher sein“, sagt Wiedemann.

drapilux-Textilien werden nicht nur nach deutschem Recht, sondern auch nach europäischen und internationalen Brandschutznormen geprüft. In Frankreich beispielsweise muss das Prüfergebnis M1 erzielt werden, das einen noch höheren Stellenwert als die deutsche B1-Zertifizierung hat. Der drapilux-Stoff wird hierzu nicht an den Kanten, sondern an der Oberfläche mittels Gasflamme entzündet. Das Textil darf höchstens fünf Sekunden brennen und darf nicht brennend abfallend sein.

Um die B1-Kriterien zu erfüllen und damit als schwer entflammbar eingestuft zu werden, müssen die von akkreditierten Prüfinstituten getesteten drapilux-Textilien nach einem Brandschachttest noch eine mittlere Restlänge von mehr als 15 cm aufweisen und die mittlere Rauchgastemperatur von 200 Grad Celsius unterschreiten.

Doppelt hält besser: Tests im eigenen Labor

„Vor der externen Prüfung wird jeder Stoff bei drapilux aber auch schon inhouse genauestens untersucht“, erklärt Wiedemann. Schmitz Textiles hat ein vollständig eingerichtetes Prüflabor, um Eigenprüfungen nach vorgegebenen Standards selbst durchführen zu können. „So bekommen wir bereits in der Entwicklung von neuen Textilien Sicherheit, da Brandschutzprüfungen zwischen den einzelnen Entwicklungs- und Produktionsschritten erfolgen können“, sagt der Leiter der Qualitätssicherung. Schmitz Textiles investiere viel in die Sicherheit der Produkte, indem verordnungs- und gesetzeskonforme Produktions- und Qualitätssicherungsprozesse etabliert wurden. „Das kostet Geld“, so Wiedemann, „stellt aber einen klaren Vorteil für die Verwender von drapilux-Produkten dar.“

Besonderheit Maritim-Sektor

Auf Schiffen ist es besonders wichtig, den Brandschutz genauestens zu beachten und einzuhalten. Keine Fluchtmöglichkeiten und nur eingeschränkte Optionen der Brandbekämpfung machen präventive Maßnahmen unabdingbar.

Für Schiffsausrüstungsmaterialien gilt die Einhaltung des Internationalen Übereinkommens zum Schutze des menschlichen Lebens auf See (SOLAS). Um dies zu erfüllen, müssen Möbel-, Dekorationsstoffe und Stores nach fest definierten Prüfmethoden (FTP-Code 2010) geprüft und zugelassen werden. In Europa wird dieses durch die Richtlinie 2014/90/EU geregelt.

Nach der aktuellen Richtlinie 2014/90/EU haben alle Händler oder Einführer von Schiffsausstattungsmaterialien den Artikel 14, Absatz 3 zu beachten. Dieser Artikel besagt, dass jeder Einführer oder Händler als Hersteller gilt und entsprechend der Richtlinie die Pflichten des Herstellers nach Artikel 12 erfüllen muss, wenn er Schiffsausrüstung unter seinem eigenen Namen oder seiner eigenen Handelsmarke in Verkehr bringt oder ein EU-Schiff damit ausstatten möchte.

„Diese Besonderheit bei Schiffsausrüstungsmaterialien muss in Europa zwingend beachtet werden“, sagt der Experte. „drapilux-Maritimstoffe weisen die Zulassungen – also Modul B + D – einer europäisch notifizierten Stelle auf und können somit bedenkenlos auf allen Schiffen weltweit eingesetzt werden“, so Frank Wiedemann.

Frank Wiedemann ist bei Schmitz Textiles u. a. dafür verantwortlich, dass die internationalen Brandschutznormen eingehalten werden und beantwortet Anfragen zur REACh – der Europäischen Chemikalienverordnung zur Registrierung, Bewertung, Zulassung und Beschränkung chemischer Stoffe. Die REACh gilt als eine der strengsten Chemikaliengesetze der Welt.

Exhibitor registration is open for Cinte Techtextil China, which will take place with an earlier date of 4 – 6 September this year. Asia’s largest biennial event for the entire technical textiles and nonwovens sector, the fair is held in a region that not only continues to grow strongly but is expected to do so for the foreseeable future, not least due to major government initiatives in China that are injecting billions of dollars of investment into the industry.

“It is due to the increasing opportunities in the Asian market that we are expecting more European exhibitors to feature at Cinte Techtextil China this year,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd outlined. “As the fair attracts a diverse range of trade buyers, including from 12 different application areas such as Buildtech, Clothtech, Geotech, Medtech, Mobiltech and Protech, it is a unique opportunity within Asia for suppliers to meet with the entire industry and maximise the potential of their products across various end-uses and sectors.” While many new European companies are expected this year, some of the returning big brands already confirmed include Trützschler, Dilo and Barnet from Germany, Andritz from France, Stahl from the Netherlands, Itema from Italy and Picanol from Belgium.

Chinese and Asian technical textiles and nonwovens markets continue their upward trajectory
When it comes to technical textiles and nonwovens, the Asian region, and China in particular, is displaying impressive growth, which will remain the case in the coming years.

China overall

•  The total output of technical textiles and nonwoven products is estimated to reach over 22 million tons in 2020, accounting for 30% of global production, and double that of 2013.
•  In 2016, China’s technical textile exports were worth USD 23.61 billion. Nine major products surpassed USD 1.5 billion worth of exports each: medical & hygiene textiles, coated textiles, nonwovens, canvas & tarp textiles, ropes, synthetic leather substrates and package textiles.
• Growth will be seen especially in the following sectors in the coming five years               

                  Filtration & separation textiles
                  Medical & hygiene textiles
                  Geotechnical textil
                  Structural reinforcement textiles
                  Transportation textiles
                  Protective textiles

Nonwovens

• China accounted for 10.5% of global nonwovens imports in 2015.
• China alone will account for around 57% of the Asian consumption of nonwovens from 2016 to 2020.
• According to the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA), the following nonwoven sectors will experience the highest growth in this period:

                 Environmental protection
                 Medical, healthcare and elderly care
                 Emergency services and public security
                 New-energy automotive
                ‘Belt and Road’ supporting industries

Man-made fibres

• China currently accounts for 65% of world market share of man-made fibres, with demand in the wider Asian region expected to remain strong in coming years thanks to growing populations and rising living standards in China and emerging Asian countries.
• The driving force is not only clothing, but also new applications such as the filtration, construction, protection and transportation industries.

The two AZL Partners Conbility GmbH and Fraunhofer IPT, Aachen started their long-term cooperation for the further development and for the commercialization of Fraunhofer´s tape-placement and tape winding systems with in-situ-consolidation by the usage of laser or IR heat sources.

With this cooperation, the company Conbility GmbH makes 25 years of expertise in special machine development of tape placement systems of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT commercially available. Conbility offers two different tape processing systems available in different configurations.

The “PrePro 2D” machine system allows for the automated tailored tape placement of UD laminates and which can be used for subsequent thermoforming or as stiffening structures in injection molding processes. The machine comprises a rotating and translational table which is moved relatively to the applicator station. The table is scalable according to the requirements of customers. Standard table diameters are 1200 mm or 2000 mm. The applicator station can be equipped with a single or with multiple spool applicators. Because of the large process area, a 9 kW IR heater is used for the in-situ-consolidation process.  
Three in one: Three technologies included in one single modular system
Furthermore, the award-winning “PrePro 3D” tape placement and winding applicator is available as modular product with decentral control system (including closed-loop control of energy input into the processing zone) for the “plug-in” implementation in existing robot systems or machine systems by standard interfaces for the communication with the master control system. Conbility provides the single applicator as well as turn-key ready systems including the robot and handling systems.

Unique selling point of the PrePro 3D system is its multifunctional range of usage: it accomplishes laser-assisted thermoplastic tape placement, IR-assisted thermoset prepreg placement and dry fiber placement: Three technologies included in one single modular system.  

During the JEC World in Paris (March 6th – 8th 2018), Conbility GmbH will present its new “VCSEL Tape Placement and Winding Applicator” (Fig. 3), developed in cooperation with Fraunhofer IPT and Philips Photonics at the AZL Composites in Action area (Hall 5A, C55).

VCSEL Laser Systems as heat source for lower investment and process costs
This applicator uses an integrated VCSEL Laser System as heat source which has been developed by Philips Photonics. This tape placement and winding applicator can also be integrated as modular “plug-in” system into industrial jointed-arm and linear gantry robots in variable manufacturing cells. Using the new VCSEL Laser as heat source (VCSEL: Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) leads to significant lower investment and process cost in comparison to other laser systems. Furthermore, the VCSEL laser system can accomplish controllable in-process adjustments of the laser-spot geometry as well as the intensity distribution within the spot size during the process (in-process control of laser-spot geometries and intensities) for the first time. The new system with 2 kW laser power and 10 separate emission zones which can be controlled separately will be shown at JEC World in Paris 2018 as new product of Conbility GmbH.

• Subtly accentuated classics and vibrant colors in sportswear

The collections are evolving, featuring a sharpened profile and improved focus. In narrowing the focus, eye-catchers and favorite pieces become even more important. At the same time every brand has to carefully consider where and how it wants to position itself. Trims and accessories, especially buttons, are an ideal way of harnessing and playing to this trend. The broad variety of classic pieces for Season SS 19 is also reflected in the diversity of trims and accessories used. Garment and button enter into a dialogue that, while subtle, is always valuable, even when it’s just about playing with contrasts. By setting a particular accent, the button completes the look, playing its role as a key piece.

Formal wear:

Vegetable ivory in a variety of finishes is a key material for summer. In a light bone color it emphasizes the texture and colorfulness of natural materials, lending them a distinct touch of sophistication.

Echt Perlmutt Twice brings an element of tension to high-end classic looks through subtle material contrasts and a subdued interplay of color

The AZL will continue its collaboration on composites in buildings and infrastructure after completing an initial market and technology study which identified new potentials for composite technologies in buildings and infrastructure markets. The aim of the new AZL Workgroup which will meet for the first time on January 25th, 2018 is to jointly develop new applications and to support the business development for composites in these two growing markets. The meeting is open to interested companies from the composite industry as well as the building and infrastructure markets.

The aim of the initial workgroup meeting will be to turn insights from the study into a long-term workgroup collaboration and to define topics and initiatives for the joint cooperation in the field of process and manufacturing technologies, fire safety regulations, materials as well as standards and norms. Industrial keynote presentations will introduce these action fields and will provide an insight into building and infrastructure applications for composites. The meeting will furthermore provide a platform to network with companies along the entire composite value chain.

Dr. Amer Affan, CEO and founder of AFFAN Innovative Structures based in Dubai is in charge of various composite projects for buildings such as the Museum of the Future in Dubai: “We have been utilizing structural composites in construction since 2010. Composites is a truly high-tech material compared with the traditional building materials (steel, concrete, timber and aluminum) but it is still to be recognized as such in the conservative and price-sensitive building industry. AZL, particularly its location at the RWTH Aachen University and its partner companies, offers a good platform to progress the use of composites in construction.”

AZL together with more than 25 companies just completed the Joint Market and Technology Study on “New Potentials for Composite Technologies in Buildings and Infrastructure” establishing a broad knowledge on business opportunities for composite technologies in these two growing markets. In a structured approach, the study determined the key segments as well as the technologies/applications with the highest market and technological potential. Analyses of 20 market segments, investigation of 438 applications, technology analyses of 25 highlight components and 11 detailed business cases were elaborated throughout the study. Additional to requirement analyses for materials and production technologies, new concepts for efficient profitable production technologies and cost engineering analysis were developed. With the workgroup, the AZL will take this initiative a step further with the aim to build a long-term cooperation platform for composites in buildings and infrastructure markets.

Justin Jin, CEO of the Korean company AXIA Materials participated in the study and is part of the AZL Partner Network: “As producer of large thermoplastic composite sheets and composite SIP (Structural Insulated Panel), we are eager to drive composites in B&I applications with the best efficient way. The AZL study on Buildings and Infrastructure provided us a great networking with key players in this business field and opportunities to strengthen our products with the key elements from partners. The study also gave us a proper market understanding including market size/volume in numbers to prove the value of this technology to building industry. We are looking forward to following up on these first insights and to realize applications with the AZL and its partners.”

Besides the networking options, the meeting will offer the opportunity to get an insight into the activities of the AZL Network consisting of nine research institutes at the RWTH Aachen Campus and more than 80 companies from 21 countries. During an optional guided tour, participants will visit selected institutes at the RWTH Aachen Campus. The meeting is open to all interested companies and free of charge.

More Information on Meeting and the Study
Information on AZL activities in the field of buildings and infrastructure:
www.azl-lightweight-production.com/composites-buildings-infrastructure
Details and registration to first Workgroup Meeting on January 25th, 2018:
http://www.azl-lightweight-production.com/termine/1st-workgroup-meeting-buildings-infrastructure

• Druckdesigns nach Kundenwunsch
• Objekttextilien: Immer mehr individuelle Dekostoffe gewünscht

Emsdetten - „Wir hätten auf den Vorhängen, Kissen und Skirtings gern unser eigenes Wunschmotiv, passend zum Farbkonzept unseres Hauses.“ Ein Wunsch, den Textilhersteller drapilux von seinen Objektkunden des Öfteren hört – und problemlos erfüllen kann. Mittlerweile stehen vom Inbetween in Leinenoptik bis zum Black-Out insgesamt 13 bedruckbare Grundwaren zur Verfügung.

Individualität ist in: drapilux verfügt über die technische Kompetenz, Flexibilität und Qualitätssicherheit, um auf individuelle Druckwünsche zu reagieren. „Angefangen hatte es mit unserer 200°-Kollektion, mit der wir erstmals Dekostoffe nach dem Baukastenprinzip auf den Markt gebracht haben“, sagt Vertriebsleiter Hubert Reinermann. Ein Prinzip, das nach wie vor beliebt ist, denn verschiedene Themenwelten, Dessins, Farbvarianten und Grundwaren können ganz nach den Wünschen des Kunden miteinander kombiniert werden.

Die 200°-Kollektion ist nicht die einzige Möglichkeit, die die Marke drapilux – welche durch moderne Druckmaschinen und das eigene Designstudio als Vorreiter in Sachen Digitaldruck gilt – seinen Kunden bietet. 13 bedruckbare Grundwaren stehen zur Verfügung. Dazu zählen strukturierte Deko- und Möbelstoffe, Unis, Inbetweens in Leinenoptik, Stores, Satin, Black-Out- und Dim-Out-Textilien. Dieses Druck-Grundwaren-Portfolio hat drapilux in einer speziellen Bemusterungsform neu und pointiert zusammengestellt. Alle Druckgrundwaren sind nun auf einer Objektkarte zusammengefasst:

„Ab 25 Metern Ware ist alles machbar“, sagt Vertriebsleiter Reinermann. Jüngstes Referenzobjekt ist ein Pflegeheim des Ev. Stifts Freiburg, das für die Vorhänge in der Cafeteria um ein orientalisches Motiv bat. „Gemeinsam mit dem Kunden erarbeitete ich das Motiv, und das Designstudio passte dies dann farblich an den Bodenbelag an“, so Elmar Ritter, Objektberater und Digitaldruck-Spezialist bei drapilux.

Bei fast allen der flammhemmenden Textilien können nach dem Druck zudem die intelligenten Funktionen – z. B. drapilux all in one mit luftreinigender und antimikrobieller Wirksamkeit – aufgebracht werden.

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market
Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

The 23rd edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is over, with both exhibitors and buyers satisfied with the business outcomes resulting from the fair’s four days. The largest home textiles trading event in Asia was held from 23 – 26 August, attracting 1,106 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions. Given the strengthening market conditions in China the fair maintained its popularity, with the number of trade buyers increasing to 38,964 from 99 countries and regions (2016: 37,779 from 98 countries and regions). The show also attracted more international buyers this edition, with a 16% increase in those coming from abroad. “Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has once again proven its leading position in Asia as a business and order platform for the industry. There was a noticeable positivity from both exhibitors and buyers this edition regarding the current and future situation of the domestic market, so we are optimistic about the industry for the next year,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd said.

Overseas exhibitors found the fair an effective platform to open up the Asian market

As the leading event of its kind in the region, the fair successfully attracts a number of Chinese and Asian buyers every year, ensuring suppliers can develop their business further in the region. This year, seven country and region pavilions including Belgium, India, Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey were formed, with exhibitors from all of satisfied they could meet their target buyers.

While being in the minority at the fair, European brands still managed to catch the attention of visitors due to strong interest in their products from Asia. The Italian upholstery supplier Enzo Degli Angiuoni Spa was satisfied with the number of Asian buyers, particularly Chinese, that they met at the fair. Mr Stefano Laurenzano, Export Area Manager expressed: “A lot of visitors that saw us here last year have come back again and are serious about cooperating with us. Here you can get a lot of new contacts and discover the Asian market. We’ve had mainly Chinese buyers, but have had more Asian buyers from South Korea, India, Malaysia and elsewhere to visit us this year. We are seeing more business here in recent years.”

Being a newcomer to the fair, Iceland Duvet ehf felt the potential in China. “We’ve had enough buyers including retailers and manufacturers visiting our booth to make our participation worthwhile. The interest from the buyers has been genuine. Being a European brand helps more than at fairs in Europe as we can stand out more here,” Mr Ragnar Ludvik Runarsson, representative said.

Indian exhibitor, Paramount Textile Mills Ltd has been joining the fair for three years. “Apart from meeting our existing customers, we’ve had enquiries from potential new customers from China as well as overseas including the US and South America,” Mr Ram. M., Director of Marketing & Finance said.

Also with three years’ participation, Mr Samir Tazi, General Manager of PIF Textile Emotions from Morocco affirmed the show’s effectiveness in meeting important buyers and decision makers. “It’s easier for us to meet them here compared with some smaller European fairs. Thanks to Intertextile Shanghai, we have also met the major players in China.” Talking about this year’s result, he continued: “We were very busy. We met with more people than any other fairs. There are a lot of new buyers and also returning buyers checking out our new products.”

Participating in the Korea Pavilion, Sangwon Textile Co Ltd found the fair helpful in attracting distributors and wholesalers from Southeast Asia. Mr Jeon Hyeon Tae, Sales Manager said: “We have found about five potential and quality distributors from Taiwan, India, Philippines and Singapore on the first day. We also got to meet a number of wholesalers who prefer to buy from us directly at the fair.” He added that Intertextile Shanghai is also an ideal platform to launch new products for their existing clients.

As the largest pavilion this year, the Turkey Pavilion was in the limelight of the show, with both new and veteran exhibitors finding it useful to exhibit in Intertextile Shanghai. Bezmez Ev Tekstil did not intend to receive any orders in their first show, but was surprised to obtain three in just one day. These concrete results reassured their likelihood of coming back next year. “We definitely see the potential for Turkish products here in China as Chinese companies prefer quality products nowadays,” Mr Ayhan Bezmez, representative, further commented. Mr Fahri Goksin, Vice President of Gokhan Tekstil agreed with Mr Bezmez that Chinese buyers are in favour of new things like imported goods and Western brands. His company has been in the Shanghai fair for six years and continued to get satisfactory results. “We’re looking for retailers, wholesalers and online buyers. We’ve had all of these visiting our booth already.”

Domestic exhibitors satisfied with the number of potential customers and orders received

Recently, there is strong signs suggesting that the home textiles market in China is recovering with both imports and exports rising gradually. The positive outcome that Chinese exhibitors achieved at the August’s fair have resonated with the market condition. It is no surprise to see a number of domestic booths packed with visitors throughout the days. SohoCUT is a case in point. To them, Intertextile Shanghai is the place for actual business. “Compared with other fairs we’ve been to, this is the exhibition where a huge number of international buyers gather. We met buyers from China, Mexico, Russia, the US, India and Southeast Asia. We even got large orders for the first two days.” Mr Wheatley Weng, Managing Director said.

The fabrics of Wujiang Linwang Weaving Mill is also sought after at the fair. Being a company that do both exports and domestic trade, they are happy to connect with local and overseas customers during the show. “We’ve collected around 100 leads on the first day, of which 70% are domestic and the remaining being international. The overseas visitors are from Italy, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Chile and Korea that our products precisely meet their requirement. We see high chances of cooperation after the fair.” Mr Kenny, Sales Manager said.

Given the prevailing smart home concept in China, Somfy China Co Ltd which specialised in advanced sun-protection system has become one of the highlights at the fair. Ms Nancy Nan, Chief Executive Officer mentioned: “The visitor flow has been really high that our booth is swarmed by buyers. Amongst those visitors, there is no lack of medium to high-end customers who placed orders immediately.”

Editors assembled to promote high-end products

To cater to the ascending standards of Chinese customers, Intertextile Shanghai once again brought editors together in hall 5.1 to maximise their exposure to their target buyers. As foreign brands with subsidiaries in China, JAB and Prestigious see the growing interest in their premium products in China. “We pay attention to the changing buying habits of Chinese consumers and, as such, have started promoting a series of products under a unified lifestyle trend. It’s obvious that we are gaining more awareness from buyers at the fair,” Mr William Lin, Vice President of JAB ANSTOETZ Interior (Shanghai) Co Ltd said. He also appreciated the specific display area for imported fabrics and the organisers’ attempt to attract more designers, which helped them meet more potential customers. Apart from getting onsite orders, Prestigious Textiles (Shanghai) Ltd also considers the show a promotion platform. “There is great demand for our products in China. Though we achieved similar sales compared with last year, through this fair our brand has been well introduced to the market,” Mr Lewis Liu, Sales Director expressed.

Originating from China, Euroart Co Ltd was another editor that successfully showcased their latest collection at the fair. “It is a good time to join the most influential home textiles exhibition in Asia as we have just launched new products in May. We are satisfied as some of our existing clients plus new visitors came to our booth,” Ms Guo Jianhua, Director Assistant said.

Industry players benefit from the expanded Digital Printing Zone

The demand for digital printing solutions has been growing in recent years, especially as the industry has put more emphasis on green production. As such, the Digital Printing Zone expanded in size this edition, incorporating a Seminar Area and more exhibitors.

As an Italian company, MS Printing Solutions Srl experienced the potential of the sector in China. “The fair has been busy, and we’ve had steady flow of buyers coming through. The potential in digital printing here is just beginning. The Chinese government is pushing companies to reduce their pollution, so it has a big advantage in this regard over traditional textile printing,” Mr Walter Oggioni, Regional Sales Manager stated, adding that the company has been growing very fast globally, especially in China, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

This potential holds for domestic machine manufacturers as well. Specialising in the production of digital printing machines, Guangzhou Xu Cheng Electronic Technology Co Ltd was at the fair to meet fabrics suppliers. Mr Jesse Luo, Overseas Manager explained: “Compared with exhibitions for textile machinery, Intertextile Shanghai attracts more fabrics suppliers, which are our target clients. It helps even more as we are located in this special zone. We’ve been talking to a lot customers, including overseas buyers who are also interested in our machines.”

A series of seminars also provided opportunities for the industry to share their insights on this emerging sector. As a speaker, Foshan Sanshui Yingjie Precision Machinery believed the session was mutually beneficial for them and the audience. “Attendees are from the whole sector including manufacturers and end users, so we can discuss different perspectives. It will facilitate our improvement,” Mr Peng Jichang, General Manager said. Mr Scott Bai, representative of Huntsman Textile Effects (China) Co Ltd also benefited from visiting the zone and the seminar. “Together with seminar, the Digital Printing Zone can professionally present the current situation for the industry. When suppliers and users come together, we can discover the way to enhance this technology.”

Buyers benefited from wide range of quality exhibitors

Intertextile Shanghai is the largest trading platform in Asia with the whole spectrum of home textiles and accessories on offer. Hence, visitors, be they Chinese or overseas, can access a wide range of quality suppliers that meet their sourcing needs. Australian buyer, Mr Glenn Whitchurch from Trabeth Textiles, was impressed with his sourcing journey. “The polyester quality of domestic exhibitors has been unbelievable. What’s more, we’ve found the Chinese suppliers to be very flexible in meeting our needs, they’re clearly keen to accommodate overseas buyers.” Mr Whitchurch also commented favourably on the product range at Intertextile Shanghai compared to European fairs.

One ongoing trend at the fair over recent years is the increasing quality of domestic suppliers, which attracts buyers to come back and source. Mezanin V SRL from Moldova is a long-term supporter of the show, and place orders every year. Its Vice Director, Mr Mihail Tornea remarked: “It is an important event for us to meet new suppliers from China. We are selective with the suppliers we work with, but the Chinese companies here meet our requirements. As a sourcing event, Intertextile Shanghai is the best place to be.”

The fair’s VIP buyer programme also assists buyers in meeting worldwide exhibitors at ease. Mr Bibo Lan is the co-founder of Loft Curtains in the US and he is excited to meet lots of potential suppliers here. “The arrangement for VIPs is satisfying and it helps a lot to have my target exhibitor information in advance. The largest benefit of our visit is that we met Libeco from Belgium, while we also confirmed to work with a blackout supplier at the fair,” he said.

Chinese buyers agreed that Intertextile Shanghai is the most effective sourcing platform in Asia. “Overseas suppliers like Turkey exhibitors are our main interest. So far, we have connected with four to five exhibitors in hall 4 and will place orders with them soon. In terms of exhibitor number and the product range, I feel that the fair has improved a lot. It is my favourite show with a lot of overseas products to discover,” Mr Huang Shenghua, General Manager of Ziranfeng Home Textile Co Ltd said.

Concurrent events inspired the industry

Apart from facilitating business between exhibitors and visitors, the fair also incorporated various design elements via a series of concurrent events. These included display area like Trend Area, International Fiber Art Exhibition and Home Furnishing Crossover Exhibition where participants could find innovative designs and ideas.

This was also the first time the Andrew Martin International Interior Design Summit and the fair took place concurrently. Experts from the interior design, architecture and art sectors were invited to share and discuss their views on the transformation of design in the new information era. Mr Kot Ge, founder of a domestic interior design studio, LSDCASA was delighted to join, and shared: “This show always attracts many top interior designers and it’s my pleasure to meet them here. Interior design and home textiles are closely related and new concepts can bring along improvement.”

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition was organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA). The next Autumn Edition will take place in August 2018, while the Spring Edition runs from 14 – 16 March 2018.
To find out more about this fair, please visit: www.intertextilehome.com.
For more information about Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.

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Es gibt ihn in 23 natürlichen oder naturnahen, gedeckte Farbtönen: Der flammhemmende Artikel 795 fügt sich mit seinem Leinencharakter ganz harmonisch ins Objekt. Der Inbetween ist dichter als eine Gardine und durchscheinender als der Vorhang, Sichtschutz ist garantiert. Ab einer bestimmten Menge kann der Stoff mit intelligenten Ausrüstungsvarianten geliefert werden: Durch drapilux flammstopp, air, bioaktiv und akustik tragen die Stoffe zu mehr Sicherheit bei und verbessern aktiv das Raumklima, schaffen einen angenehmen Raumklang und bekämpfen Keime und Bakterien auf dem Textil.