From the Sector

Members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – will display technologies in alignment with the theme of digitalisation at the forthcoming Techtextil and Texprocess 2024 exhibitions, taking place in Frankfurt from April 23-26th.

Automatic handling
The fully automated and digitised handling solutions for finished garments, home textiles and furniture of Eton Systems, for example, will be demonstrated at Texprocess.

Designed to increase value-added time in production by eliminating manual transportation and minimising handling, the individually addressable product carriers 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.

Bespoke seams
Svegea will demonstrate its EC 300-XS colarette technology, which is used by garment manufacturers around the world for the production of tubular apparel components such as cuff and neck tapes and other seam reinforcements.

The EC 300-XS collarette cutter on show in Frankfurt is equipped with the latest E-Drive II system providing the operator with a very user-friendly touchscreen, providing full control of the cutting process. An accompanying FA 350 fully automatic roll slitting machine will also be demonstrated.

Digital finishing
At Techtextil meanwhile, Baldwin Technology Co. will provide full details of how its highly digitised TexCoat G4 non-contact spray technology for textile finishing and remoistening not only reduces water, chemicals and energy consumption, but also provides the flexibility to adapt to customer requirements in terms of single and double-sided finishing applications.

TexCoat G4 can reduce water consumption and chemical usage by as much as 50% compared to traditional padding application processes.

Yarn tension
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Eltex will display the latest Eltex EyETM system for the continuous monitoring of yarn tension on warp beams.

The Eltex EyETM eliminates problems when warping, and also in subsequent weaving or tufting processes, monitoring the yarn tension on all positions in real-time and enabling a minimum and maximum allowable tension value it be set. If any yarn’s tension falls outside these values the operator can be warned or the machine stopped.

The Eltex ACT and ACT-R units meanwhile go beyond yarn tension monitoring to actually control yarn tension. This extends the application range greatly. The plug and play system automatically compensates for any differences in yarn tension that arise, for example from irregularities in yarn packages.

Accumulated know-how
Vandewiele Sweden AB benefits from all of the synergies and accumulated know-how of Vandewiele Group, supplying weft yarn feeding and tension control units for weaving looms to the majority of weaving machine manufacturers. It also retrofits its latest technologies to working mills to enable instant benefits in terms of productivity and control.

The company will present its latest X4 yarn feeders with integrated accessory displays (TED) as a new standard, as well as launching its own e-commerce platform – iroonline.com.

The TED function enables weft tension settings to be transferred from one machine to another, enabling a fast start-up the next time the same article is woven. The position of the S-Flex Tensioner is constantly monitored by an internal sensor – even if adjustment is made during power off.

X4 feeders are also available with integrated active tension control (ATC-W) as an option. With the ATC-W active tension control, the required tension is easily set and monitored on the integrated display. Once set, the system constantly regulates itself, ensuring consistent yarn tension during the weaving process which is constantly and accurately measured by the ATC sensor unit, sending a signal to the ATC operator unit resulting in consistently stable yarn tension at the required level.

Groz-Beckert will be represented at ITMA with its six product sectors and will showcase its various innovations. The presentations at the booth will be supported by augmented reality applications. This allows visitors to discover the products both live and virtually.

The Knitting product sector will be represented at the Groz-Beckert stand with its four product groups circular knitting, flat knitting, legwear and warp knitting. In the circular knitting segment, for example, two newly developed knitting systems will be on show which have been realized in collaboration with machine manufacturers. The developments focus on energy savings, extended cleaning intervals and increased process reliability.

In addition to the machines for weaving preparation, the Weaving product sector will present its recently expanded portfolio of technical weaving reeds. The new weaving reeds make it possible to supply customers who produce fabrics with high densities. The weaving reeds are used in the production of special fabrics, for example, in technical filtration, membrane technology, solar cells or touch screens.

Products and services for classic needling and hydroentanglement will be presented by the Felting (Nonwovens) product area. In the field of felting needles, visitors can look forward to two innovations: a new notch shape and the Groz-Beckert felting needle module. In the felting needle module, the needles are embedded as a module in a plastic mold for the first time. The needle modules are characterized by high deformation resistance and offer new dimensions in needle density.

For the production of tufted floor coverings such as carpets, bath mats or artificial turf, the Tufting product sector will be presenting its proven Gauge Part system.

Various new and further developments will also be shown by the Carding product area. For those interested in the nonwovens industry, for example, the world's finest Interlocking wire for reduced risk of crashis included. For customers of the spinning industry, the division will be presenting further developed stationary flats and revolving tops. The new revolving tops have been adapted to the processing of fine yarns, while the stationary flats have been provided with a new, resistant aluminum profile.

The Sewing product sector is focusing on the presentation of its special application needles, SANTM. The sewing machine needles of the SANTM series have been specially developed for demanding sewing operations – e.g. for sewing technical or finest textiles. The division will also be presenting its new Needle Finder. The Needle Finder is an interactive tool in the online customer portal that helps customers select the right needle.

The 7th ITMA Asia + CITME takes place from 12–16 June 2021 in Shanghai, China. Groz-Beckert presents the new products from all six product areas:
Knitting, Weaving, Felting, Tufting, Carding und Sewing.

The products are presented both physically as exhibits and in extended form via augmented reality. Groz-Beckert welcomes guests on-site at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hall 4, Booth C31. In addition to the face-to-face event, the company is inviting industry visitors to its virtual booth.

A focus on customer service, aligned with the drive to constantly innovate, has long ensured that the member companies of TMAS – the Swedish texile machinery manufacturers’ association – stay well ahead of the curve.

“All of the Swedish textile machinery companies are doing really well in major markets such as Europe, China, India and the USA,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson. “They are now gathering forces to prepare for the most important show – ITMA 2019 in Barcelona in June. I expect to see new players and partnerships as we enter the industry 4.0 era for real. We are ready to display an even higher degree of the real time monitoring of processes, automation, flexible customisation, and the incorporation of robots into production lines.  Our customers expect a lot of in terms of knowledge and our ability to customise and offer turnkey solutions.”

The forward-looking attitude of the Swedish companies is perhaps best summed up by Reimar Westerlind, the owner, since 1961, of ACG Gruppen.
At the age of 90, Reimar still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies operating under the ACG umbrella.
“Everything now is about automation and digitisation,” he says. “We have to be on that track or we will be lost – innovate or die.”

Robotics
One ACG Gruppen company moving rapidly forward with new innovations in this area is ACG Kinna, which at ITMA 2019 will be providing dramatic live demonstrations of its new robotic pillow filling system.
This has the ability to fill and finish some 3,840 pillows per eight-hour shift, which is a considerable improvement on what is currently possible with existing systems, resulting in significant savings in both labour and energy for busy home textile businesses.

At ITMA 2019, Eton will be demonstrating a complete material handling solution with advanced software providing real-time information covering every aspect of the process.
“Our systems are a natural fit with the major Industry 4.0 networked manufacturing plants that are now being constructed worldwide for sectors such as the garment and home textiles manufacturing and automotive industries,” says Eton’s Sales and Commercial Director Roger Ryrlén.

Sensors
Advanced senor developments are playing a large part in moving many areas of the textile industry forward too.
Eltex of Sweden, for example, is achieving considerable success with its yarn fault detection and tension monitoring systems across a range of sectors, including the tufting of carpets, the creeling of woven materials and even the production of woven reinforcements for the composites industry.

At successive ITMA shows, IRO AB has also consistently introduced new milestones in the field of yarn feeding technology for weaving machines, and ITMA 2019 will be no exception.
“Following significant investment in our R&D capabilities, we have been making great progress in further boosting the efficiency and performance of our expanding X3 range,” says IRO AB Managing Director and Chairman of TMAS Mikael Äremann. “I can’t remember a time since the 1980s when we had so many new innovations to unveil at an ITMA, and I’m greatly looking forward to the positive response to them we are anticipating in Barcelona this June.”

Resource savings
ITMA 2019 will meanwhile see the launch of TexCoat G4 – the next generation of Baldwin Technology’s non-contact precision application system for fabric finishing. The TexCoat G4 enables a continuously high-quality and productive textile finishing process with zero chemistry waste and minimised water and energy consumption.
The non-contact spray technology brings a range of advantages including single or double-sided application,  the elimination of Foulard bath contamination, low wet pick-up levels leading to the elimination of drying steps, zero chemistry waste in changeovers of chemistry, colour or fabric, and the possibility of batch reporting, visibility of pad loading, chemical usage etc.

Other TMAS companies exhibiting in Barcelona include Texo AB, whose wide-width weaving looms make the belts for machines on which half of the world’s paper is made, ES-Automatex, which specialises in bespoke automation concepts and Svegea, a company leading the field in a number colarette machines and cutting and slitting equipment.

“At the last ITMA in 2015 in Milan, there was much talk about Industry 4.0 technologies but certainly from the perspective of TMAS, ITMA 2019 will be the place for concrete solutions as to how data and the new tools we have available can be exploited to the full,” says Therese Premler-Andersson. “There is already much more networking between the companies, with software very much the enabler and common interfaces bringing ideas closer together. We are greatly looking forward to further exchanges of ideas when meeting with customers old and new in Barcelona.”