From the Sector

As the role of lingerie in fashion and athleisure continues to augment, the desire for garments that will meet a new set of values for contemporary consumer lifestyles will flourish. Iluna Group comes back to Interfilière Paris with an important goal: to relaunch the qualities and dimensions of sustainability.

Iluna’s new path begins with the investment in the renewal of machines, which allow it to fly higher in terms of high-tech developments, quality, definition, effects of yarns and patterns. The journey into the new dimension of responsible quality continues with ad hoc developments in the field of GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified recycled yarns, aimed at unprecedented effects both in look, in performance and in the hands of fabrics. The cord yarn is a precious yarn with a ROICA™ EF premium stretch yarn core, GRS certified and developed with 50% of pre-consumer waste materials content - double, covered with an equally recycled shiny thread; the bright and translucent is instead to add brilliant effects so far not possible with a GRS yarn.

The printing processes are also born from this constant search for innovation towards new materials and new techniques, becoming more and more sustainable: Global Recycle Standard (GRS)-certified sublimation printing and register printing carrying Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification.

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at INDEX20 in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 19 to 22. The broad ANDRITZ product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies such as air-through bonding, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/WetlaceTM, converting, textile finishing, airlay, recycling, and natural fiber processing.

One highlight at INDEX will be the new member of the ANDRITZ Nonwoven division: ANDRITZ Laroche – a company that has been an important partner for ANDRITZ in the field of fiber preparation for drylaid nonwovens for over 10 years. ANDRITZ Laroche is a leading supplier of fiber processing technologies such as opening, blending and dosing, airlay web forming, textile waste recycling, and decortication of bast fibers.

One focus of this product range is complete recycling lines for post-consumer and industrial textile waste to produce fibers for re-spinning and/or nonwoven end-uses. Customer awareness and regulations are pushing clothing brands to recycle their textile waste in their own products. Recycled fibers can also be used in the nonwovens industry for various applications, such as automotive, insulation, mattresses, and furniture felts.

Kornit Digital (Nasdaq: KRNT), a worldwide market leader in digital textile printing technology, announced UK textile printing company Rialto Designs has invested in a Kornit Presto S with Softener Solution to drive printed textile fashion innovation.

Founded 25 years ago by textile technologist brothers Riyaz and Mohsin Omarji, Rialto Designs has established a client base that includes many of the UK’s leading fashion brands.
In recent years, the company has downsized its analog screen production and adopted digital direct-to-garment capabilities. Two Kornit Avalanche HD6 systems for on-demand DTG production have streamlined operations and increased output to gain new market opportunities.

The latest single-step, eco-friendly Kornit Presto S helps align Rialto’s roll-to-roll workflow with commercial growth and delivers high-quality natural and synthetic pieces, in any quantity and in short order.

Kornit’s DTG technology supports Rialto to deliver a service that sets it apart on speed, sustainability, and high quality. Clients can now order printed samples across hundreds of fabric bases—polyester and natural—and receive their orders within 24 hours.

Jason Kent has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the BTMA Group, which also includes subsidiaries nw texnet and The Textile Recorder (Machinery & Accessories) Exhibitions Ltd (TREX), effective from Monday 23rd August 2021.

Jason has been a non-executive member of the BTMA board for over eight years and brings a wealth of experience with him, having spent 35 years working in the carpet tufting machinery industry.

As a time-served mechanical technician engineer, he ascended through a series of positions of greater responsibility with Cobble Blackburn until its acquisition in 2013 by the Vandewiele Group, where he undertook the role of Managing Director for the tufting machinery business.

He also studied part-time for his MBA back in 2011 and is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

“I am very privileged to be joining the BTMA,” said Jason Kent. “I believe there are many generational changes ahead that our members must face and the BTMA needs to be ready and capable of supporting such challenges.”

 “As I see it, we have three initial goals in providing better business outcomes for our members through active engagement in addressing industry skills deficits, ensuring we are at the forefront of the industrial digitalisation revolution, and leveraging opportunities brought about through innovation and the associated global focus on sustainability.”
Founded in 1940, the British Textile Machinery Association actively promotes British textile machinery manufacturers and their products to the world. The non-profit organisation acts as a bridge between its members and the increasingly diverse industries within the textile manufacturing sector.

• Podcastfolge über Epsons Nachhaltigkeitskonzept bis 2050

In der aktuellen Folge des Epson Podcasts „druckbar“ spricht Henning Ohlsson, Geschäftsführer der Epson Deutschland GmbH und Direktor Nachhaltigkeit von Epson Europa über grüne Versprechen von Unternehmen und wie Verbraucher sie hinterfragen können, darüber wie faire Arbeitsbedingungen mit Qualität zusammenhängen und wie Technologie dabei helfen kann, Zukunft verantwortungsvoll zu gestalten. Der Podcast ist auf den gängigen Plattformen (Spotify, Apple, Deezer) verfügbar.

• Long-term partnership between the Austrian textile producer FEINJERSEY and the German textile machinery manufacturer BRÜCKNER

The Feinjersey Group is an internationally operating textile company and supplies the "global players" of the textile industry worldwide. The value chain of the company, which is based in Götzis, Austria, ranges from yarn processing to the finished product.

As a fully integrated production company, the internationally active textile company Feinjersey attaches great importance to a high quality standard and guarantees care at every step in the process chain. With approx. 250 employees and annual sales of around 45 million euros, the company knits, dyes and finishes top-quality knitted fabrics as well as elastic woven fabrics for a wide range of applications.

Products are made for the fashion, sports, workwear and technical textiles sectors. Among other things, fabrics for the automotive industry, laminating backings and coating substrate for artificial leather or foils, construction textiles or fabrics for medical technology are all produced.

The Austrian textile manufacturer has been certified with the Bluesign textile seal and ensures efficient use of resources with modern machinery. Water and energy consumption as well as pollutant emissions are to be reduced to a minimum.

In textile finishing in particular, the focus is on minimising energy consumption as this process is the most energy-intensive in the entire process chain. Feinjersey uses its own photovoltaic system for this purpose, as well as the heat recovery and exhaust air purification systems on the stenter frames. By using the waste heat from production, the company's buildings are heated. All six stenter frames at Feinjersey are made by BRÜCKNER and produce with three-stage heat recovery and exhaust air purification systems.

The latest BRÜCKNER line has a working width of 4.20 m and is mainly used for the finishing of high-ly elastic and extremely sensitive knitted fabric. In order to avoid yellowing on the fabric, the stenter is equipped with an indirect gas heating system. The knitting oil vapours coming from the fabric during the heat-setting process are extracted from the dryer and cleaned in a BRÜCK-NER ECO-AIR exhaust air cleaning system before being extracted to atmosphere. The complete exhaust air treat-ment on the newest stenter is carried out by a multistage BRÜCKNER ECO-HEAT and ECO-AIR system.

It is exactly 100 years ago on August 17th this year that Carl Axel Gustafsson returned from the USA to Sweden with a significant agency agreement from the Boston-based sewing machine leader Reece.

Back in 1921, Reece, along with its competitor Singer, entirely dominated the buttonhole machine market and were the world’s only manufacturers of these machines for jackets, trousers and coats.

Gustafsson’s license enabled his new company A C Gustafsson to become one of Europe’s first leasing organisations, hiring out Reece buttonhole machines and receiving payment per sewn buttonhole stitch.

This business thrived for many decades and formed the basis for the entire ACG Group as it exists today.

Forty years later, on September 2nd 1961 to be precise, Reimar Westerlind walked out of a restaurant after a long and enjoyable lunch with someone he’d never met before, having signed his intention to buy a company he knew nothing about on an improvised contract written on the back of a menu.

“What I didn’t know then was that my dining partner was the family lawyer of Carl Axel Gustafsson,” Reimar explains. “I had no money and knew nothing about the textile industry and I also quickly discovered the business was not doing so well at that time and tried to get out of the agreement, but he insisted I honour it. He told me he had money and would back me, but I’d have to work hard and pay him back in full.”

Reimar certainly took that advice, and at the age of 92 still travels to his office every day to oversee the operations of the diverse companies now operating under the ACG umbrella.

Although textiles remain the bedrock of the business, under Reimar Westerlind’s management, ACG Group has branched out into many other fields of activity over the past 60 years, and its diversity has also led to some highly unexpected developments.

Like many other European manufacturers, ACG also began to expand beyond its traditional borders from the 1970s onwards – initially into the former Soviet Union and subsequently establishing subsidiaries in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, the Ukraine and Denmark.

• Schlafhorst automatic winder as well as Accotex and Temco will be transferred from Saurer to Rieter
• Investment to complete Rieter’s ring- and compact spinning systems and in two attractive component businesses
• Closing expected during the month of August, implementation to be completed in six to nine months

On August 13, 2021, Rieter Holding Ltd., Winterthur/Switzerland, and Saurer Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai/China listed, signed an agreement by which Rieter will acquire three businesses from Saurer Netherlands Machinery Company B.V., Amsterdam/Netherlands, the parent company of Saurer Spinning Solutions GmbH & Co. KG, Uebach-Palenberg/Germany and Saurer Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Krefeld/Germany.

With this acquisition, Rieter will complete the offering of ring- and compact spinning systems by acquiring the Schlafhorst automatic winder business. Additionally, Rieter invests in two attractive component businesses: Accotex (elastomer components for spinning machines) and Temco (bearing solutions for filament machines).

In total, the three businesses had a combined turnover of EUR 142 million in 2020, the year of the COVID crisis. In 2019 and 2018, the total combined turnover was at a level of EUR 235 million and EUR 260 million, respectively.

The purchase price for the three businesses is EUR 300 million on a cash and debt free basis. Rieter has financed the purchase price by cash and available credit lines.

Rieter and Saurer expect to close the transaction during the month of August. In the first step of the transaction, Rieter will acquire 57% of the shares of Saurer Netherlands. The shares will be returned to Saurer after the implementation of the transaction in six to nine months.

In connection with the transaction, it is envisaged that Rieter will supply automatic winders to Saurer in the future.

The MS Ultrasonic Technology Group is a globally recognized technology and innovation leader in ultrasonic joining technology and develops and builds flexible special machines, pioneering series machines, modular systems and efficient components for high-performance complete solutions.

This enables optimal welding, punching, sealing, cut-off welding and riveting of thermoplastics, textiles and nonwovens as well as cutting of food and other products.

To ensure sustainable growth, MS is focusing on expanding its application portfolio and entering new market segments. MS Ultrasonic Technology Group is part of the listed MS Industrie AG with internationally active companies.

In addition to the company's previous activities, MS is now placing a new focus on the continuous welding of nonwovens and other materials.

More than 30 years of experience in the development and production of high-quality and innovative ultrasonic components, coupled with know-how in drive and control technology, will be incorporated into the new business segment. This means that customers receive ready-to-integrate systems with maximum precision from a single source. With the new MS Competence Center in Ettlingen (Germany), MS is fulfilling the wish of many customers to expand its application portfolio to include continuous joining, embossing and perforating of nonwovens and sealing of packaging.

MS is thus adding an innovative and specialized site, while maintaining a high level of vertical integration and support for all specialist areas through its main site in Spaichingen (Germany). In two application laboratories and a measurement and analysis laboratory, tests, evaluations and optimizations of various welding tasks are just as much a part of the service as the in-house production of engraving rollers through to complete systems.

• Application engineering consulting for your welding task
• Support in the design of the engraving roll
• Execution of feasibility studies
• Welding tests to determine the process parameters
• Individualized process optimization
• Finding solutions for problematic welding applications
• Testing of quality-describing characteristics (tightness, porosity, strength)
• Microscopic analysis of the welded joint in 3D
• Sample creation and pre-series production

• Prozessbänder für Imprägnierung und Trocknung aus einer Hand

In der Glasvliesproduktion setzen Trocknerbänder der GKD Gruppe weltweit Maßstäbe. Nahezu alle Hersteller vertrauen auf die Ebenheit und Querstabilität dieser Metallbänder. Mit der Erweiterung des Portfolios um Imprägnierbänder liefert GKD jetzt aus einer Hand Bänder für Kernprozesse in der Glasvliesfertigung.

Imprägnierbänder haben entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Effizienz des Produktionsprozesses und die Qualität des Endprodukts. Parameter wie Größe der Maschenöffnung, Anzahl der Auflagepunkte und Art der Gewebebindung tragen maßgeblich zum Prozesserfolg bei. Auf Basis von Marktumfragen entwickelte GKD für Imprägnierprozesse drei verschiedene Bandtypen. Mit ihren unterschiedlich großen Maschenöffnungen decken sie das gesamte Anforderungsspektrum ab: Type 1780 (8/6,1 Fäden pro Zentimeter), Type 1830 (9,2/7,5 Fäden pro Zentimeter) und Type 1865 (11/9 Fäden pro Zentimeter). In Abhängigkeit von der Kundenspezifikation bezüglich Länge und Stärke der eingesetzten Glasfasern, individueller Binderzusammensetzung, Prozess und Endprodukt wählt GKD aus diesem Spektrum gemeinsam mit dem Kunden das optimale Band aus.

Als geschätzter Lieferant von zuverlässigen Produkten und Services sowie kompetenter Ansprechpartner in Fragen der Anlagentechnik kennt GKD die Prozesse, Anlagen und Produkte nahezu aller Hersteller von Glasvliesen. Das hierdurch über Jahre gewachsene Vertrauensverhältnis paart der Weltmarktführer für technische Gewebe für Industrie und Architektur mit jahrzehntelang bewiesener Kompetenz im Bereich Kunststoff-Prozessbänder. Insbesondere in der anspruchsvollen Nonwovens-Fertigung gelten Kunststoffbänder von GKD als Garant für Effizienz und Produktqualität. Die neuen Imprägnierbänder von GKD für die Glasvliesherstellung aus prozessspezifisch modifiziertem Linear-Screen - auch als Leinenbindung bekannt - zeichnen sich durch exakt auf die jeweilige Anwendung abgestimmte Porengrößen und Luftdurchlässigkeit sowie durch eine stabile Kantenstruktur für eine sichere Randabtastung aus. Dank spezieller, prozessabhängiger thermischer Veredelung überzeugt ihre Gewebekonstruktion durch exzellente Laufeigenschaften. Die glatte Oberfläche gewährleistet überdies eine ebenso leichte wie schonende Produktablösung.

Lieferbar in allen gängigen Breitenklassen für Glasvliesanlagen mit Produktionsgeschwindigkeiten bis zu 450 Metern/Minute sind sie eine attraktive Alternative zu herkömmlich eingesetzten Bändern. Da GKD die Prozesse, Anlagen und Produkte der meisten Hersteller seit Jahren kennt und durch das Tochterunternehmen GKD USA auch auf dem Kernmarkt für Glasvliese in den USA kurze Lieferzeiten sicherstellt, haben Glasvlieshersteller weltweit nun eine attraktive Option: Bezug der erfolgskritischen Prozessbänder für Imprägnierung und Trocknung aus einer jahrelang bewährten Hand.