From the Sector

New ideas were exchanged, brainstormed, and discussed freely at members’ booths at the Swiss Textile Machinery Pavilion during the recent Techtextil in Frankfurt. “Customers and researchers met Swiss textile machinery companies to explore the possibility of the not-yet-invented. “We regard our Pavilion as the place where future innovations catch a spark,” says Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association. Further developments in the field of hybrid yarns were a hot topic. One example of this involves producing a yarn which has all the typical characteristics and advantages of carbon – but which also prioritizes careful use of resources, combining carbon fibres with thermoplastics.

Technical textiles cover a vast range of applications, and it’s still growing thanks to intensive research by specialist institutes and universities. Many members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association maintain long-standing partnership with such bodies. Innovations are often joint efforts.

Feel-good technical fabrics
Some technical textiles feel like a second skin. A well-known example is activewear from the ‘sport tech’ field. Activewear includes breathable clothing, usually consisting of a three-layer-laminate: an inner lining, a breathable membrane in the center, and an outer fabric. The challenge is to bond the individual layers without losing breathability or softness, while meeting technical requirements such as resistance to a number of wash cycles.

Bonding solutions meeting top quality requirements, as well as ambitious standards for environmental protection and sustainability, were reinvented by the Cavitec brand from the Santex Rimar Group. This company’s hotmelt technology uses one-component polymers applied to textiles in a hot, molten state. Bonding based on hotmelts is both water- and solvent-free. Drying and exhaust air cleaning are not necessary, which is an ecological advantage. Energy consumption is also significantly lower. Cavitec hotmelt technology is also developed for laminated medical protection fabrics which are safe, high-quality and sustainable. These fabrics can be washed, sterilized, and used again.   

A second skin with added value is the result of Jakob Müller Group’s cooperation with an institute for an established outdoor fashion brand. They have devised a heating mat applied as an inner jacket. Outdoor gear with a heated inlay offers the wearer a comfortable feeling even in a cold climate. The heating mat is particularly light, breathable, flexible and adjustable to three temperature levels.

Fabrics with these advantages are now possible thanks to multi direct weaving (MDW) technology from the Jakob Müller Group. A lacquer-insulated heating strand is inserted into the base textile as a ‘meander’ using MDW technology. The technology is offered with both label weaving machines and the latest generation of ribbon weaving machines. The textile pocket calculator is another MDW based future-oriented application developed in cooperation with a textile research institute.

Safety and health
Life-saving reliability is a must for vehicle airbags. They have to fulfil high security aspects, and must remain inflated for several seconds when an accident occurs. Airbags made of flat-woven fabric – cut and seamed – can show weakness at seams during the inflation phase. Latest Jacquard technology by Stäubli enables one-piece-woven (OPW) airbags to be produced, creating shape and structure in a single process. The final product is an airbag consisting of a sealed cushion with woven seams. OPW airbag weaving reduces the number of production steps, and increases the security aspects.
Another big advantage of Stäubli’s new weaving technology is the flexibility in formats required in today’s mid- and upper-range cars, where lateral protection (in the seat or in the roof over the door) has become standard and is designed in line with the car shape. Safe airbags are woven on modern high-speed weaving machines. The warp material, the variety of fabric patterns, and the importance of precisely shaped airbags require the use of a robust and reliable Jacquard machine.

A revolution for orthopaedic patients is a knitting machine from Steiger Participations, which uses compressive yarns developed to meet the needs of the specific health market. This machine model was exclusively designed for production with inlaid elastic yarns and offers optimum performance with guaranteed final product quality.

In the orthopaedic field, many Steiger flat knitting machines have already been operating as automatic, custom-made production systems. For example, the dimensions of an injured limb are taken by the doctor and fed into a web-based application. The doctor selects the compression class in the various sections of the item and a data file created by the software automatically applies a preconfigured program. With no human intervention required, the program is generated and produced on the machine, precisely matching the patient’s dimensions. Each product is different, and generally available within 48 hours.

ITM 2022 hosted textile technology leaders in Istanbul for 5 days, presenting the latest innovations in every field of textile from weaving, knitting, yarn, digital printing, finishing to denim. The ITM 2022 Exhibition, where a business volume of over 1.5 billion Euros was created in 5 days, accelerated the Turkish and world economy.

Organized by the partnership of Teknik Fairs Inc. and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc., ITM 2022- International Textile Machinery Exhibition was held at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center between 14-18 June.  ITM 2022 Exhibition, attended by 1280 companies and company representatives from 65 countries, was visited by 64,500 people from 102 countries, consisting of 44% international and 56% domestic visitors.

Turkey became a Supply Center at the ITM 2022 Exhibition
The successful sales graph achieved at the ITM 2022 Exhibition proved that the difficulties experienced due to the pandemic for the last 3 years have been left behind. Turkey has become a supply center for European, Middle Eastern and African countries, especially with the disruption of the supply chain in Far East countries, including China. The profile of the professional visitors visiting the ITM 2022 Exhibition revealed that in the new world order that has shifted after the pandemic, the trade network has also changed hands and new players have appeared on the scene. The fact that manufacturers from all over the world such as Andorra, Angola, Honduras, Peru, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Egypt, Iran, and Oman purchased a large number of machinery and signed collaborations at the ITM 2022 Exhibition has proven this.

Exhibitors of ITM 2022 enlarge their stands for ITM 2024
Many company officials, who stated that they have achieved a sales graphic far above their expectations starting from the very first day of the ITM 2022 Exhibition and that they have hosted visitors from all over the world, decided to enlarge their stands at the ITM 2024 Exhibition. During the exhibition, companies visited the registration application points and applied for ITM 2024 participation.

The next meeting of the ITM and HIGHTEX Exhibitions will be held in Istanbul between 4-8 June 2024.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Baldwin, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of precision spray systems and technology for sustainable textile manufacturing, announce a new collaboration to optimize performance and resource saving in the finishing department.

The two companies aim to support textile manufacturers in their development projects, targeting to improve their product safety, performance and functionality, while at the same time maximizing the productivity and resource utilization of the finishing application process.

Archroma and Baldwin are collaborating in multiple projects that combine Archroma’s most sustainable product innovations with Baldwin’s Texcoat G4.

TexCoat G4 is a non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening, designed to allow a controlled and optimal coverage of the exact amount of finish chemistry for reaching specific characteristics of the fabric. The system can be used to reduce water consumption by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.

Archroma and Baldwin are currently testing Archroma’s finishing products and systems, such as the soon-to-be-launched PFC-free* Smartrepel® Hydro SR for water-based soil repellence, as well as metal and inorganic particle-free antimicrobial technologies like Sanitized T 20-19 and TH 15-14, which will be launched at the upcoming Techtextil 2022.

The first test results will be available for discussions with both partners at Techtextil at their respective booths.

ITM 2022, the first major international textile machinery exhibition to be held in the world after a 3-year hiatus during the pandemic process, is getting ready to open its doors. Bringing the leading brands of textile technologies together in Istanbul, ITM 2022 will host world launches and numerous collaborations for 5 days.

ITM 2022- International Textile Machinery Exhibition, organized in partnership with Teknik Fairs Inc. and Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım Inc, will open its doors at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center between 14-18 June. For ITM 2022, which will be held in 12 halls on an area of 120,000 m2; hums of 1280 participating companies from more than 40 countries continues. Tüyap Fairground, where thousands of people sweat for stand setups, is getting ready for the big meeting. ITM 2022, where all halls have reached 100% occupancy rate and 1280 exhibitor companies are located, will also attract attention with the stand areas and machine parks that the manufacturers have enlarged compared to the previous exhibitions.

Companies will showcase their state-of-the-art technologies for the first time at ITM 2022
Many companies that focus on product development and new productions under pandemic conditions will have the opportunity to introduce their products to their customers for the first time in 3 years at the ITM 2022 Exhibition. Company owners, managers, employees and sector representatives visiting the exhibition will have the opportunity to see the latest technological innovations for the first time and witness their world launches.

Sector representatives, who will open up new horizons in their minds about textile technologies, will sign new products by transforming the extraordinary and original ideas that they have obtained at the ITM 2022 Exhibition into design. Participating companies will also update their machines in line with the demands and needs from the sector representatives and lead the development of new technologies.

Significant Contribution to Exports Aimed with Machine Sales and New Investment Decisions
The textile industry, which is among the locomotive sectors in Turkey's exports, has made a significant contribution to the Turkish economy, especially with the performance increase it has achieved during the pandemic period. Having achieved an increase of up to 40 percent in its exports of textiles and raw materials, Turkey also managed to increase its exports of medical textiles, technical textiles and home textiles. The industry will further increase this success with the collaborations to be realized at ITM 2022. The textile machinery industry will gain great momentum with the machinery sales and new investment decisions to be made at the exhibition.

ITM 2022, which will be attended by many domestic and foreign companies and visited by thousands of people, will be an organization where both domestic and foreign companies will make sales amounting to millions of Euros and many business connections will be realized.

Intense Interest from Trade Delegations
Trade delegations from dozens of countries are requesting to attend the ITM 2022 Exhibition, which is included in the ‘Domestic Organizations Covered by State Incentives’ list by the Ministry of Commerce. Bangladesh, India, Iran, Serbia, Czech Republic, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Mexico, Egypt and Vietnam are among the countries that requested procurement delegations. The intense application of visitors to consulates and commercial attachés from all over the world clearly reveals that ITM 2020 will host a large number of visitors.

ITM 2022 Exhibition Prepares to Break Both Exhibitor and Visitor Records
Company owners, company representatives and visitors left the 2018 edition of the ITM Exhibition very satisfied. ITM 2018 Exhibition, attended by 1150 companies and company representatives from 64 countries and visited by approximately 60 thousand people from 94 countries made a significant contribution to the export records of the textile industry that year. At the ITM 2022; It is getting ready to break new records with the number of participants and visitors coming from Turkey and abroad.

Technical Textiles and Nonwovens Industry Will Meet at HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition
On the other hand, HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, which will be held simultaneously with the ITM 2022 Exhibition, will be an exhibition where Nonwoven products, raw materials used in their production and the state-of-the-art technologies will be exhibited. HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, which is the first and only in its field in Turkey, will host a record number of participants and visitors in parallel with the increase in demand for technical textiles. At the HIGHTEX 2022 Exhibition, companies operating in many sectors, from medical textiles to hygienic textiles, from agricultural textiles to geotextiles, will exhibit their latest products and production technologies. Nonwoven manufacturers will come together with the global players of the sector and have the opportunity to both invest in technology and introduce their newest products.

BB Engineering has been shortlisted for the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2022 for the category Recycling Machinery Innovation with its PET recycling line VacuFil® Visco+ for fiber-to-fiber inline recycling.

The process presented as part of the award is the combined VacuFil® Visco+ with VarioFil®. This machinery enables the textile industry to perform closed-loop inline recycling of post-consumer polyester (PET) textile waste. The given recycling technology is a thermo-mechanical recycling process optimized for the textile industry. Key component here is the liquid state polycondensation reactor, known as Visco+, to adjust the intrinsic viscosity. Compared to existing fiber recycling processes, which address rather less demanding textile applications and don’t include subsequent spinning, BBE’s solution is a whole-in-one process that enables the textile industry to perform closed-loop inline recycling of post-consumer PET fiber waste even into high-tech textile yarns with low dpf-values.

The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2022 winners will be announced on 23 June, during the second day of the Plastics Recycling Show Europe taking place at the RAI Amsterdam.

Mimaki Europe will be showcasing its latest innovative technologies and connecting with customers at FESPA 2022 Global Printing Expo (May 31st – June 3rd Berlin). Following the success of FESPA 2021, Mimaki will return as a gold sponsor for this landmark industry event. With a host of new solutions released this year, FESPA 2022 will be the first opportunity for Mimaki to demonstrate these printers and cutters at an international event and further explain the many benefits they offer sign and textile printing companies.

In the Spotlight
Standout technology on show includes the new 330 series, consisting of the JV330-160, the CJV330-160 and the TS330-1600. Launched during the company’s Global Innovation Days event, the 330 Series leverages Mimaki’s cross-platform strategy, to offer a high-end yet cost effective printing solution across several sectors. The eco-solvent inkjet printers, the JV330-160 and CJV330-160, boast innovative features such as the new media changer that allows three rolls of media to be loaded simultaneously, and the XY slitter, which provides in-line X-axis and Y-axis sheet-fed cutting. The TS330-1600, which will make its international tradeshow debut at FESPA, is a sublimation printer with an improved take-up system and optional add-ons to further increase efficiency, including a 10kg ink tank supply unit and a mini jumbo roll unit.

Additionally, FESPA visitors will see Mimaki’s all new CG-AR cutting plotter.

Urbanising FESPA 2022
In line with FESPA 2022’s tagline, ‘Experience print in motion’, Mimaki’s stand will bring a vibrancy to the show, by demonstrating real-world applications alongside the machines that created them. This year will see Mimaki’s stand convey the streets of Berlin in its design, and urban inspired works by designers, including Nicky Nahafahik and Xavier Protano, all printed using various Mimaki’s printing technologies and displayed on the stand - allowing visitors experience Berlin from inside the Messe Berlin halls. Mimaki will also join forces with Dutch designer Tessa Koops to create a selection of unique fashion items, after their successful collaborations in 2019.

Celebrating Customer Success
As a centrepiece of Mimaki’s stand, the customer gallery will return to FESPA 2022, showcasing and celebrating customer samples and testimonials. There will also be live demonstrations of Mimaki’s latest technologies in dedicated sign, UV and textile application areas. The latest UV printers on display include the UJV100, and the JFX and UJF series. The acclaimed 3D printer, the 3DUJ-2207, will also return to FESPA this year to showcase the many high-quality, full-colour models, including figurines, scale models and prototypes, achievable with this cost-efficient, entry-level printer.

To answer questions about the applications and Mimaki technologies, hospitality and meeting areas will provide space for one-to-one conversations with Mimaki experts.

Leading Japanese textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at the upcoming JEC World 2022 exposition to be held in Paris, France next month.

On display will be the P-CAM®131 multi-ply computerized cutting machine (NC cutting machine). SHIMA SEIKI's fast, efficient and reliable P-CAM® series computerized cutting machines are known for their innovative functions and Made-in-Japan quality, and boast the largest market share in Japan. At JEC World P-CAM®131 is shown in its most compact form, featuring a cutting area of 1,300 mm x 1,700 mm, with option for expansion. Its multi-ply cutting capability allows up to 1 inch (33mm) of fabric or material to be cut. A knife sharpening system produces a sharp, strong blade every time. Strong, robust components permit quicker response times for knife movement and more accurate cutting composites and other industrial materials. The P-CAM® lineup is ideally suited to global production in a wide range of industrial applications in addition to apparel and textiles.

Also available for video display will be SHIMA SEIKI’s latest innovation in flat knitting technology as applied to the field of technical textiles—a prototype weft knitting machine capable of multi-axial yarn insertion. Fabrics produced on this machine use inlay technique for the production of hybrid textiles that combine the stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics with the stability of woven textiles, suited to various technical applications. To this, warp yarn is inserted to further expand its capability to produce 3D-shaped carbon fiber and composite preforms directly on the machine. This is made possible because flat knitting as a textile production method is capable of producing end products that are shaped-toform and with added thickness. Therefore, savings in post-processing time, cost, material and labor as compared to current methods of preform production are immense, realizing efficient and sustainable production. SHIMA SEIKI’s own yarn unwinding technology is also used for optimum yarn feed and tension for use with technical yarns that are otherwise difficult to knit. Industrial textile samples knit on the multi-axial machine will also be available for examination on-site.

ITM 2022, which will be held at Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center on 14-18 June 2022, will be the first and largest international textile machinery exhibition to be held after a 3-year break. The leading brands of world textile technologies will launch their latest machines at ITM 2022.
The latest ITM Exhibition hosted the world textile industry with 1200 exhibitors from 64 countries and 60,000 visitors from 94 countries. ITM 2022 Exhibition in cooperation with TEMSAD and in partnership with Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık Inc. and Teknik Exhibitions Inc. plans to set new records as one of the most important global organizations to be organized after the pandemic outbreak period.

The textile industry, which is among the leading sectors in Turkey's exports, demonstrated its power to the whole world, especially during the pandemic outbreak period. Achieving an increase of up to 40 percent in exports of textiles and raw materials, Turkey also broke records after records in medical textile, technical textile, and indoor textile exports.

Ranking in the top three in the most important market for the European textile machinery manufacturers, Turkey also attracted attention with its production performance during the troublesome pandemic outbreak. Many European machinery manufacturers, who spoke highly of Turkey's performance, announced that their machinery sales to Turkey increased in 2020 and 2021. Turkish textile companies, which increase their production capacity because they were unable to keep up with the demands, continue their new investments and modernizations.

Leading brands of textile technologies such as Picanol, Itema, Toyota, Saurer, Rieter and Trützschler are among the companies that will exhibit their latest innovations at the ITM 2022.

• Mimaki’s Newest Product Series to Transform the Sign Graphics and Textile Markets with Improved Efficiency and Quality 
• Mimaki to launch the 330 Printer Series and the new entry-level cutting plotter series, the CG-AR

Mimaki Europe today announces a brand-new large format inkjet printer series, the 330 Series, including the JV330-160, CJV330-160 and TS330-1600, as well as a new range of CG-AR cutting plotters. Launched during the company’s Global Innovation Days event, the 330 Series leverages Mimaki’s cross-platform strategy, to offer a high-end yet cost effective printing solution across several sectors. Similarly, the CG-AR Series offers users new workflow enhancing, entry-level cutting plotter technologies available in three sizes. Both launches align with Mimaki’s objective to grow both its high-end and entry-level product range, to further encourage and support customers expanding and improving upon their printing services and product offering.

Introducing Mimaki’s latest printers – the 330 Series

Following on from the success of the 100 and 300 Plus Series, the 330 Series was developed to offer mid- to high-end printing models, focusing on high image quality and productivity. As a company renowned for its high-colour range, Mimaki’s newest printers can achieve high resolution, durable prints for both the Sign Graphic and Textile industries. 

The eco-solvent inkjet printers, the JV330-160 and CJV330-160, deliver the high-standard of colour required for indoor and outdoor sign graphics through the new “Deep Color Natural” input profile, offering eye-catching and vivid solid colours, natural skin tones as well as deep reds and neutral greys. With printing speeds of 21.0m2/h during standard mode while using 4 colours, this printer is ideal for print jobs that require quick delivery. The in-built cleaning mechanisms and monitoring features ensure an efficient workflow and allow for longer running times.

Both models feature a newly designed unwinding system that allows three rolls of media to be loaded simultaneously, greatly reducing the time and manpower required to change print media. One operator can bring the desired media into position simply by turning the media changer. Another standard feature is an “XY slitter” - a highly precise cutting technology, which provides in-line X-axis and Y-axis sheet-fed cutting. This eliminates the unwinding and rough cutting from the workflow, helping printers to significantly speed up and streamline the post-process, with less interference needed.

The print-only model JV330-160 as well as the integrated printer and cutter CJV330-160 will be available globally in April 2022.

In addition to the Sign Graphics solutions, Mimaki has also released the TS330-1600, a sublimation transfer inkjet printer, for the textile industry. Enabling both high production and high image quality, and equipped with new functions to improve stable operation, the TS330-1600 can achieve a printing speed of 69m2/h in Draft mode with a 4-colour ink set, with the fastest mode reaching up to 135m2/h. The newest cleaning mechanism applies a cloth wiper that removes unwanted ink from the nozzle surface, reducing ink splatter and improving the overall upkeep of the machine.

Increasing efficiency with entry-level CG-AR plotting cutter series

Alongside the 330 Series, Mimaki has also launched the CG-AR Series plotting cutters. Available in three different sizes (CG-60AR, CG-100AR and CG-130AR), these plotters go above and beyond current entry-level options available today. Recognising customer demand of shorter delivery times, these cutters provide increased speed and accuracy, all with user-friendly operability. In addition, the cutters have the ability to handle a diverse range of materials, such as PVC, fluorescent and reflective sheets.

In January 2022, international technology group ANDRITZ successfully started up its latest-generation tearing line for spinning grade fibers delivered to Sasia at its Ribeirão premises, Portugal.

The scope of supply includes a seven-cylinder Jumbo tearing machine dedicated to spinning grade fibers. As the first of its kind in Portugal, the machine contains the latest ANDRITZ Laroche innovation for fiber opening, featuring a new-generation pinning configuration.

ANDRITZ has worked closely with Sasia for more than half a century, offering both cutting-edge solutions for recycling as well as every possible fine-tuning customization to support Sasia’s goals. Sasia’s plant now has four state-of-the-art ANDRITZ Laroche tearing lines.

A pioneer in the textile recycling industry since its foundation in 1952, Sasia is engaged in the circular economy with the aim of reducing textile waste by turning it into usable raw material again, increasing ability to compete as well as promoting innovation and sustainability.

This order not only underlines ANDRITZ’s position as the leading supplier worldwide of textile recycling lines, but also highlights its ability to bring continuous improvement with sustainable solutions and versatility to its customers.