From the Sector

International technology group ANDRITZ has successfully started up a new nonwovens production line supplied to Teknomelt Teknik Mensucat San. ve Tic. A.S. in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye. The new neXline wetlace CCP (carded-carded-pulp) line produces nonwoven roll goods for biodegradable, plastic-free wet wipes

By combining the benefits of two technologies, spunlace and wetlaid, the line enables the use of bio-based fibers, like viscose and wood pulp, to produce a high-performance and sustainable wipe with the same technical product characteristics and performances as a conventional wipe made of synthetic fibers while protecting the environment.

Teknomelt is one of the leading manufacturers of nonwoven meltblown, spunbond, SMS and SMMS fabrics in Türkiye. The company serves a wide range of markets, exporting 45% of its production. With the new ANDRITZ Wetlace CCP line, the company is expanding its range of sustainable nonwovens production for wipes. 

The KARL MAYER GROUP is intensifying its business activities in Turkey and is setting up a subsidiary in Bursa. The opening of the new site is planned for October 2023.

The company's success on the market to date has been made possible to a large extent by its close and long-standing cooperation with Erko, the KARL MAYER GROUP's regional representative. The two companies have been cooperating for more than 50 years and see further positive market development in Turkey in the medium to long term.

In order to exploit and shape the potential, they will sharpen the focus of their competences in the Warp Knitting and Warp Preparation Business Units: Erko A.S. will focus on sales, taking advantage of its long-standing regional network. The KARL MAYER GROUP will take over the after-sales service and offer customers a link to the Care Solutions world of the group. Customers benefit from next-level support with many innovative solutions, especially digital ones, for meeting the challenges of our time. At the same time, they can continue to build on the tried and trusted.

The headquarters in Bursa covers just under 1,000 m² on three levels. It offers space for service, an academy with textile samples and a training machine, a workshop for minor repairs and a warehouse for the spare parts business. Located in the top-selling region in Turkey, it is also designed as a contact point for customers.

Thanks to its strong position on the Turkish market, the KARL MAYER GROUP intends to support the companies here, most of which are family-run, in the forthcoming generational changes, and to provide the next generation with specialist support and qualifications.

Lotus Teknik Tekstil A.Ş., Türkiye, has successfully started up a complete line to produce nonwoven roll goods for biodegradable, plastic-free wet wipes. This line has been delivered, installed, and commissioned by international technology group ANDRITZ.

The neXline wetlace CP line combines the benefits of two technologies: wetlaid and spunlace. Natural fibers are processed gently to create a high-performance and sustainable wipe. This next-generation wipe, called Newipe®, combines the benefits of spunlace fabric, in particular remarkable strength in all directions, with the biodegradability and softness of a WetlaceTM fabric. It is produced with a lower carbon footprint, has a low lint rate, and does not generate dust during production.

Lotus Teknik Tekstil A.Ş. is a leading nonwoven roll good producer and a member of a group company. The group company consists of 4 companies that operate end-to-end manufacturing including nonwovens, cardboard packings, plastics, and finished wet wipe products. Headquartered in Istanbul, Sapro is the leader in Türkiye and one of the four leaders in the manufacturing of wet wipes in Europe. The company produces, converts, and supplies 161 million sheets of wipes per day for personal, household, and industrial use, exporting 70% of its production to 65 countries all over the world. Sustainability plays a prominent role in Sapro’s business strategy.

• Turkish circular knitting market offers prospects in turbulent times

After a four-year, Covid-related break the German circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting with its Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik (MMÜ) once more at the important International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITM) in Istanbul. At Booth 713 in Hall 8, Mayer & Cie. will present three machines: the D4-2.2 X interlock machine, the OV 3.2 QCe for double jersey structures and the MV 4 3.2 II for single jersey fabrics. For the Mayer & Cie. and MMÜ team the focus will be on in-person contacts with customers, suppliers and partners. Despite the tense international situation both the manufacturer and its representative are positive about the medium-term outlook for the Turkish market.

Turkey is a market with prospects
“The challenges that the global economy faces are at present enormously wide-ranging, of course,” says Mayer & Cie.’s Turkey specialist Stefan Bühler. “The Russian invasion of the Ukraine, supply chain outages, shortages of raw materials and skyrocketing energy prices all create uncertainty.” And then there is galloping inflation in Turkey and elections in 2023. Yet despite, and in part because of, this state of affairs Bühler and Kahraman Güveri, CEO of Mayer & Cie.’s Turkish representative MMÜ, hold a positive view of the market outlook for the years ahead. Large orders, especially for standard products, are on the increase, Kahraman Güveri explains. That leads to new investments, new companies and a growing demand for refurbished machines that then need to be replaced by new machines elsewhere. And former commission merchants are now enterprises in their own right.

“Apart from that, Turkey benefits from its proximity to Europe, transport routes are manageable,” says Stefan Bühler. “This location advantage attracts brand manufacturers who together with their orders bring new approaches, new designs and new technologies into the country.” And Turkey’s already very highly developed textiles sector benefits too. That, says Kahraman Güveri, is why one can be confident for the next few years, “at least for as long as nothing unforeseen happens”.

Established machines with that something special: OV 3.2 QCe for double jersey structures
The portfolio of machines that Mayer & Cie. is exhibiting at the ITM is tried, trusted and popular. The OV 3.2 QCe is a specialist for interlock fabrics and double jersey structures that it knits in both filament and synthetic fibre yarns. With a conversion kit the OV 3.2 QCe also qualifies as a producer of 8-lock structures, spacer fabrics and fine gauges. The machine is available in a choice of three frames: from open-width and industrial to giant frame. Stefan Bühler, regional sales manager for Turkey, has this to say: “Not for nothing has the OV 3. 2 QCe been one of our most popular machines for years. It is mainly used for sportswear and for leisure- and outerwear.” In Istanbul the OV 3.2 QCe on show will be a 30-inch, E40-gauge model.

D4-2.2 X for fine rib and interlock fabrics
The double-jersey D4-2.2 X is an obvious choice for knitting fine rib fabrics of up to E28 gauge. Spacer and interlock fabrics are also part of the machine’s established repertoire. And it can produce elastomeric plating in both cylinder and dial cam. No matter which of these tasks is assigned to the D4-2.2 X, it performs it with impressive productivity.

MV 4 3.2 II for flexibility in the single jersey sector
In the single jersey sector, the long-established German firm delivers a literally fine solution. The MV 4 3.2 II on show at the ITM knits to an E38 gauge. The machine can also be supplied for gauges from E14 to E60. It is, in addition, highly flexible, with a repertoire that ranges from piqué and double piqué to one-thread fleece and smooth single jersey.