In total, the German participation at the fair is the largest from outside China.

China is aiming at a green and low CO2 development of its textile industry. At a press conference on the first day of ITMA ASIA + CITME, Georg Stausberg, member of the board of VDMA Textile Machinery and CEO of the Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division said: “Topics, such as energy efficiency and the careful use of resources have become increasingly important for Asian customers in recent years, not least due to stricter legal framework conditions. VDMA members and their technologies are the right partners on the road to a greener and low CO2 textile production.”

Export performance
Already in 2023, the global textile machinery exports decreased by 18.6 percent compared to 2022. This was a challenge all major textile machinery producing countries had to face. However, the German exports remained relatively strong and only declined by 3.4 percent in 2023. 2024 did not see a change in the global textile industry and thus the German exports have now also dropped significantly. Between January and July 2024, German exports of textile machinery and accessories summed up to 1.2 billion euros (2023: 1.6 billion euros). The shipping to almost all major markets decreased between January and July: China: 242 million euros (2023: 384 million euros), Turkey: 140 million euros (2023: 180 million euros), USA: 118 million euros (2023: 152 million euros), India: 100 million euros (2023: 153 million euros).

Sales opportunities in Asia

An economic survey of VDMA in September, to which 20 textile machinery companies replied, reflects the global challenging situation. Around 36 percent assessed their current business situation as satisfactory, 54 percent said it was bad. Only very few companies expect the global situation to improve in the next six months.

However, looking at the sales opportunities by regions/countries in Asia, most of the responding companies expect a better business situation in the Asian markets except China in six months. The business situation is expected to be on a satisfactory level then. With regard to this, a presence at ITMA ASIA in Shanghai and next year in Singapore is important for VDMA members to continuously show their innovations and to keep contact with the customers in Asia.

The contribution of leading VDMA members and their technologies to a green textile production:

The presence of VDMA at this year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME is themed Smart technologies for green textile production.

Here are examples of exhibitors that stand for the entire industry:
Georg Stausberg, CEO of Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions Division stated:
“China continues to have enormous potential for us, even if it has not been able to match the previous times in terms of large new installations of manmade fiber plants and the associated expansion of production capacity for good two years. However, there is still a great need for renewal, especially in terms of sustainability. Shutting down old plants and replacing them with new and energy-efficient technologies is the path to a better and lower-emission future for us all. We have been contributing to sustainability with our technology solutions for decades. Be it by increasing energy efficiency with each new generation of machines or by processing new materials. Oerlikon is proud of the fact that we have been offering innovative solutions under the e-save sustainability label for 20 years and has saved over 15 million tons of CO2 thanks to the machines and systems developed and installed on the market during this time.”

Hailin Xu, CEO Saurer Group said: “Processing recycled and regenerated fibres is becoming increasingly important worldwide. Saurer is a key enabler of the transformation towards a more circular textile business. The product portfolio today includes energy efficient machinery for spinning and twisting yarns from recycled fibres. To enable customers to process extremely short fibres, we continue to develop special solutions, which are also available as retrofits for older machines. In addition, our machines have been developed to reduce energy consumption and maximise raw material utilisation. It’s all about saving resources”.

Dr. Axel Hannemann, head of business unit fiber and pellets, Gneuss Kunststofftechnik explained: “As sustainability becomes more important, fibre producers are shifting towards recycled PET materials, including post-consumer PET bottle flakes and manufacturing waste. However, the increasing demand for PET bottle flakes has led to a scarcity of affordable, high-quality flakes. One challenge in recycling polyester is moisture absorption, which can weaken the polymer during extrusion. Recycling PET fibres, particularly industrial waste, is also difficult due to low bulk density, residual moisture, and spin finish oils. Gneuss offers tailored solutions to address these challenges efficiently.”

On behalf of Karl Mayer Group, Christine Wolters, vice president corporate communications said: “At ITMA ASIA, we are showcasing solutions that support both sustainability and the profitability of our customers. A key focus is on energy consumption: In the warp knitting sector, we present an energy efficiency solution that reduces the power usage of our machines. In warp preparation, we have optimized drying processes for more efficient energy use. Energy, cost, and CO2 savings can be monitored live. Another highlight: Our digital products improve processes with positive impacts on both sustainability and costs”.

“Groz-Beckert’s innovative textile tools enhance energy efficiency in textile manufacturing, driving down production costs. A key development is the introduction of a ‘pay-per-use’ pricing model for tools, which allows companies to align expenses with actual tool usage. This enables manufacturers to better handle demand fluctuations, reduce investment risks, and improve resource management. By focusing not only on product innovation but also on service offerings, Groz-Beckert is advancing both efficiency and sustainability in textile production” stated Eric Schöller, member of the executive board, Groz-Beckert.

Dennis Behnken, managing director of the company Herzog, the most innovative developer and manufacturer of braiding and winding machinery noted: “At Herzog GmbH, we rely on smart technologies to make textile production more sustainable. By using digital solutions, intelligent automation and high production quality, we reduce resource consumption and minimize waste. In this way, we make our contribution to a greener future without compromising on the quality of our products.“

“Customer requirements are rising and skilled staff is becoming scarce. Technologies like sensors and control systems are increasingly important for efficient operation and quality assurance”, Kathrin Pleva, member of management of Pleva GmbH said and continued: “Our process control system PLEVATEC smart is designed to meet exactly those needs. It improves operation at stenters and other drying processes with sensor modules. It enables our customers easy operation to produce faster, save resources and improve product quality and reproducibility. Similarly, our weft-straightener SL smart is easy to operate and maintain while delivering perfect straightening results.”

Tallen Yang, Sales Director Erhardt + Leimer China stated: “Currently, many textile companies are facing challenging times. The lack of turnover, however, is giving room for improvements. How much money can be saved by a proper fabric guiding, that avoids stoppages due to insufficient pinning? How many tons of fabric can be saved by an intelligent, AI-based edge cutting? How much energy can be saved by an optimized stenter management? The time for all these questions is now. And the place for answers is the booth of E+L, leading in process optimization for more than 100 years.”

According to Clemens Kaplan, product manager at Mahlo, a German manufacturer of measuring, control and automation systems for the textile and finishing industry, today’s increasing quality standards require intelligent, AI-supported process and quality management systems. Kaplan said: “As always, Mahlo is ahead of the curve and has reinvented the concept of weft straightening for the second time. The latest straightening technology, Orthopac RXVMC-20, with an AI-supported feed-forward algorithm, paired with a modular process control system, Optipac, revolutionizes straightening from the ground up. Residual distortions and fluctuations in key parameters such as residual moisture, exhaust air humidity, thread density, fabric weight, fixation dwell time, fabric width, liquor pick-up, etc., are now definitively a thing of the past thanks to this new technology.”

For the company SETEX, provider of MES production management software and control systems for textile machines, CEO Oliver Schermuly stated: “Manufacturers need a single source of truth for production data. By integrating all KPIs — from costs to carbon footprint — we provide clarity and enable optimization of production processes. Our SETEX controllers ensure seamless machine communication, capturing robust real-time KPIs. This interaction allows fine-tuning, maximizing machine potential beyond standard MES functions into advanced manufacturing excellence. AI-powered smart recipes reduce waste and boost efficiency. Unified data enhances productivity, supports digital product passports, and drives digitalisation for smarter, more sustainable production. Together, we’re creating a single source of truth to build a better, greener world.”

Tobias Schurr, member of the management board of Weitmann & Konrad explained: “Textile producers getting more and more pressure from brands and retailers to optimize CO2 footprint and water consumption on their products without increasing their price level. From technology standpoint it could be mostly achieved only by integrating cost intensive, completely new machines with new, sometimes unknown technology. The total investment and running costs have to lead to a price increase which is not accepted in the actual market conditions. What if there is a possibility to upgrade your existing continuous dyeing or finishing line to reduce strongly your CO2 footprint, your water consumption and raise your productivity with a much smaller invest?“

No shortage of chances in China and other Asian markets

The VDMA team in Shanghai is staffed again with colleagues from the VDMA headquarters in Germany as well as from VDMA China. With these joined forces, the team is well prepared to support the exhibiting member companies on site.

Dr. Harald Weber, Managing Director VDMA Textile Machinery Association, summarised: “Although facing a difficult market situation, this year’s ITMA ASIA is an essential showcase for the member companies of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association. There is definitely no shortage of chances and opportunities in China and other Asian markets. The exhibiting members will demonstrate their smart technologies that can pave the way to a green textile production and are looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors from various countries to their booths in Shanghai.”

Posted: October 14, 2024

Source: The German Textile Machinery Association (VDMA)

The exhibiting VDMA members cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning and manmade fibers, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting & hosiery, finishing & dyeing and textile processing. The heading of this year’s VDMA activities in Shanghai will be “smart technologies for green textile production.” The VDMA members are committed to reducing the consumption of resources in the textile value chain with highly efficient technologies. The goal is to utilize potential for resources, such as textile material, water, energy and chemicals, to minimize CO2 emissions. So, for VDMA members the show is an opportunity to reassert that they remain at the forefront of new ideas, products and technologies in the textile machinery sector.

With a view to the expectations for this year’s ITMA ASIA, Dr. Harald Weber, managing director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, said: “ITMA ASIA 2023 was the first edition of the show after the Covid pandemic. After years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, people could meet again, which made the event something special. In the meantime, the economic situation has deteriorated noticeably. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel. This makes the participation of VDMA member companies at ITMA ASIA 2024 even more important. The presence at the event is essential to ensure an exchange of information between machinery manufacturers and textile producers in Asia and to get ready for the sector’s restart.”

Throughout the last years, around 50 percent of the German exports of textile machinery and accessories went to Asia. Between January and July 2024, textile machinery worth about 580 million euros have been shipped from Germany to Asia, a decrease of 25 percent compared to 2023 due to the weak global economic situation. With 240 million euros, the biggest export market was again China, followed by India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Vietnam.

The VDMA team in Shanghai is staffed again with colleagues from the VDMA headquarters in Germany as well as from VDMA China. With these joined forces, the team is well prepared to support the exhibiting member companies on site.

Posted: September 20, 2024

Source: VDMA Textile Machinery

• Brückner Textile Technologies
• Erbatech
• Georg Sahm
• Groz-Beckert
• Heusch
• KARL MAYER STOLL Textilmaschinenfabrik
• KURIS Spezialmaschinen
• Lindauer DORNIER
• Oerlikon Textile
• Stäubli Bayreuth
• STC Spinnzwirn
• THIES
• Xetma Vollenweider

At CAITME, VDMA member companies will showcase the most advanced technology for the textile sector. The exhibiting companies are at the forefront, especially in sustainability and digitisation of production processes.

With exports of textile machinery and accessories worth 85 million euros in 2023, Germany was once again the second biggest supplier to the Uzbek textile sector, surpassed only by China. Uzbekistan is one of the largest producers and exporters of cotton. In the cotton sector, Uzbekistan already has a fully integrated production chain. Almost the entire cotton fibre is spun in the country. The Uzbek government has pushed ahead with extensive economic reforms in recent years. The textile industry is one of the top investment sectors in the manufacturing industry. Besides cotton spinning, the textile sector is enlarging its capacities in the downstream production steps of the textile chain, such as fabric making, finishing and dyeing.

Dr. Harald Weber, managing director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, stated: “To compete globally in the textile industry, companies must prioritize technology updates. CAITME is a perfect platform to intensify the collaboration between our industry and the Uzbek textile sector and to set up new contacts.”

The German Pavilion will be located in Pavilion 4 of the Uzexpocentre in Tashkent. For more information, please check: https://caitme.german-pavilion.com/

Posted: August 12, 2024

Source: VDMA – German Textile Machinery Association

The production of textiles requires a large number of resources, such as water, energy and chemicals. “The members of VDMA Textile Machinery support customers with products worldwide to utilise great potential already at the textile production stage to thereby reduce CO2 emissions,” explained Verena Thies, deputy chairwoman of VDMA Textile Machinery

The position statement emphasizes the importance of efficient processes, circular economy and binding rules for all market participants. Besides, the position paper summarizes the status of textile-to-textile recycling processes as well as the framework conditions for reprocessing of recyclates. The companies of VDMA Textile Machinery develop processes and technologies for recycling and provide the technical prerequisites for the efficient reuse and recycling of textile raw materials, whether natural or man-made fibers.

The executive board of VDMA Textile Machinery stresses additionally that the new EU regulations for circular economy and their national implementation must be designed with realistic targets, measurable effects and as little bureaucracy as possible. Furthermore, market surveillance is needed to ensure a level playing field for all market participants.

On behalf of the industry, the VDMA Textile Machinery Association calls for creating better location conditions in Germany and EU as a favorable environment for innovation and competitiveness for textile machinery manufacturing to significantly advance the sustainability of the textile industry: The Textile Machinery Association strongly emphasizes the need for a wide range of low-cost green energy, which is essential for the implementation and sustainable use of recycling solutions in the manufacturing industry. The association also sees the positive shaping of location conditions (the potential for skilled labor, a reduction in bureaucracy, shorter approval periods, investment security and predictability as well as a reduction in the tax burden) as a decisive factor for supporting sustainable business in the highly competitive textile and clothing industry.

The complete position paper can be read and downloaded via these links: www.vdma.org/textile-machinery and www.industryarena.com/m4t.

The production program and services of the members of VDMA Textile Machinery include equipment and technologies for recycling textile production waste, textiles, textile auxiliaries or waste heat, and for processing recycled materials into textiles. An overview is available here: Machinery for recycling and processing recycled materials – vdma.org – VDMA – https://vdma.org/viewer/-/v2article/render/78279497

Posted: July 26, 2024

Source: VDMA Textile Machinery Association

In Istanbul, the VDMA members will show their latest innovations. In technological terms, significant trends are digitalisation and automation. These themes have been present for some time but will continue to play a central role in meeting the challenges for many years to come. Another trend that has also been around for a while is sustainability. Today it is much more than a buzzword: Efficiency in energy, raw materials or water as well as recycling are not feel-good issues but have a real economic and social background.

For the textile machinery manufacturers organised in the VDMA, Turkey is a major trading partner. In 2023, textile machinery and accessories worth approximately 350 million euros were exported from Germany to Turkey, which made Turkey the second biggest sales market for German companies. After three years in which China was the most important supplier of textile machinery to Turkey, Germany has now regained this top position.

Turkey is at the doorstep of Europe, which gives Turkish textile producers a powerful geographic advantage over Asian sourcing destinations. The textile companies in the region have a deep experience and know-how in making the highest quality textile and apparel for leading markets of Europe and employs a young, dynamic, and well-educated workforce.

But ITM is not just a place for visitors from Turkey, as Dr. Harald Weber, managing director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association explained: “It should not be forgotten that ITM not only attracts visitors from Turkey, but also from the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Turkey’s proximity to the European Union and its fully integrated textile value chain also make it interesting in terms of the EU’s strategy for sustainable and circular textiles and the increasing importance of recycling in the future.”

Posted: May 23, 2024

Source: VDMA

The Walter Reiners Foundation awards:

• Anna Markic a sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor’s category. The topic of her thesis, written at Reutlingen University, was the recycling of carbon fibres.
• Mark Zenzinger, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, received a 3,000 euro promotion award in the Bachelor’s category. His topic was the automation of the process chain for the production of welded textile hard goods.
• Lena Fink from the TU Dresden received another promotion award worth 3,000 euros. Her construction engineering project work focused on a device to simplify the maintenance of braiding machines.
• Fabio Bussmann from RWTH Aachen was awarded a promotion prize in the Master’s category, worth 3,500 euros. In his thesis, he analysed the life cycle assessments of alternative semi-finished products for geotextiles.
• Katharina Maria Ernst, TU Dresden, was honoured with a sustainability prize of 3,500 euros in the Master’s category. Her work focused on the development of a suitable process for the treatment of chitosan fibres as an alternative starting product in the production of carbon fibres.
• Lennart Hellwig, RWTH Aachen University, was awarded a 3,500 euro prize in the Master’s category. He focused on the topic of machine learning using the example of a nonwovens plant.

Posted: May 3, 2024

Source: The VDMA Textile Machinery Association

VDMA member companies are ready to support the transformation of the textile industry. This means the offer of innovative, highly efficient and resource saving production technologies and the provision of cutting-edge machines and equipment for recycling. In both cases, digitalization is a means to improve both efficiency of the process and quality of the products. Automation and digital tools are also an answer to the increasing shortage of qualified personnel. With the help of digital systems, textile producers can optimize and automate their production processes and thus achieve a high level of process reliability and transparency. Automation and digitalization of textile machines have already been developed and offered to market maturity.

Digitization will only work in close cooperation between machinery builders and textile producers. In this respect, VDMA has organized a panel discussion that will take place at the VDMA group stand (12.0, C55) on April 24, 2:30 – 4 pm. The topic of the event is “Product passport – impact on the industry”. The regulatory process for the digital product passport for textiles continues to gather pace. As things stand, clothing manufacturers in all European countries are expected to require a Digital Product Passport (DPP) from mid-2027.
To discuss the impact of the digital product passport on textile machinery manufacturing and the apparel industry, VDMA has invited industry representatives and will welcome Mr. Andreas Schneider from Global Textile Scheme (GTS), who played a key role in the development of the DPP in the current CIRPASS project, launched by the EU Commission.

The VDMA group stand will also be a platform for junior engineers. On April 25, 4 – 5 pm the Chairman of VDMA’s young talent foundation (Walter Reiners Foundation), Peter D. Dornier, will award six young engineers with the Foundation’s promotion and sustainability prizes. The prizes will be awarded in the categories bachelor’s thesis and diploma/master’s degree.

VDMA is looking forward to welcoming numerous visitors to the events.

Posted: April 10, 2024

Source: VDMA

FRANKFURT, Germany — December 7, 2023 — As part of the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference in Dresden, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to four successful young engineers. Two promotion prizes and two sustainability prizes were awarded in the Bachelor and Diploma/Master categories. Academic works in which solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

A sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor’s category was awarded to Franziska Jauch, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, for her Bachelor’s thesis on pigment digital printing in denim production.

The promotion prize in the Bachelor’s category, also worth 3,000 euros, went to Annika Datko, RWTH Aachen, for her work on determining the polyester content in used textiles.

Dave Kersevan, TU Dresden, was honored with a sustainability prize in the Diploma/Master’s category, endowed with 3,500 euros. The subject of his thesis was the development of a laboratory system for the production of needled carbon preforms.

This year’s promotion award in the Diploma/Master’s category, endowed with prize money of 3,500 euros, went to Flávio Diniz from RWTH Aachen. The subject of his Master’s thesis was the feasibility of manufacturing ultra-thin carbon fibres.

The award ceremony 2024 will take place in April at the VDMA stand at the Techtextil fair in Frankfurt.

Posted: December 10, 2023

Source: The VDMA Textile Machinery Association

Dr. Janpeter Horn, chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association noted: “Although facing a difficult market situation, this year’s edition of ITMA ASIA + CITME has exceeded the expectations, both in terms of the number of visitors and the quality of the talks. The significant number of foreign visitors to the fair was particularly pleasing.”

Solutions were demonstrated for more sustainable textile productions by most of the exhibitors, and here the VDMA members presented their technologies for saving water, energy and raw materials under the heading “Smart technologies for green textile production.”

Dr. Uwe Rondé, CEO, Saurer Intelligent Technology AG, explained: “Saurer is satisfied with both the number of visitors and the quality of the discussions. Our booth was full from morning to evening with customers focused on latest technologies within the three mega trends: recycling, automation and digitalization. Although machine utilization in the spinning mills is still well below average, people are already gathering information and thinking about what to invest in once the market recovers.”

Benjamin Reiners, owner of Reiners + Fürst stated: “This year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME has exceeded our expectations by far. Especially the first day — a Sunday — has brought many high-quality customers and exclusively decision makers to our booth. We estimate about 20% international customers mainly from Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. All customers agreed that the market situation at the moment is difficult, capacity usage is between 50 to 75 percent in the ring spinning sector and improvement is expected not before the 2nd half of 2024. Nevertheless the general spirit is very positive.“

“This ITMA ASIA was a great success for Trützschler. We welcomed a large number of Chinese visitors to our booth, as well as a significant number of interested international visitors”, said Dr. Bettina Temath, head of Global Marketing Trützschler Group SE.

Georg Stausberg, CEO of the polymer processing solutions division and chief sustainability officer of the Oerlikon Group stated: “We can look back on a successful show where we were able to meet many of our customers not only from China, but also from Pakistan, India and Indonesia, for example.”

“A very well-attended trade fair, with interesting discussions, great innovative topics, in line with the modern and rapidly developing China,” noted Wolfgang Schöffl, head of product line weaving machines and member of the extended management, Lindauer Dornier.

The VDMA Textile Machinery Association and VDMA China were present at the fair, to support the members e.g. with regard to IPR. With the help of a VDMA expert and a contracted law firm, the member company Sahm submitted a complaint application for patent infringement disputes during the exhibition to the onsite IPR office. Both parties, Sahm, and the Chinese company, that used patented design without permission reached an agreement: The Chinese company had to stop displaying functions and designs involving patent infringement on site which meant the removal of some structural parts and the covering of key components protected by patent protection.

Dr. Harald Weber, managing director of VDMA Textile Machinery concluded: “Asia, and China in particular, represent the primary foreign markets for the VDMA member companies in the sector. The Chinese market is the main destination for their exports. Other major export destinations in Asia include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. ITMA ASIA + CITME provides a unique platform to showcase technologies for customers directly in Asia. The VDMA member companies are looking forward to the coming edition of the fair from 14 to 18 October, 2024 in Shanghai.”

The latest survey of VDMA members’ subsidiaries in China gives reason to hope that the economic situation in the Chinese textile industry could also improve significantly in the second half of the year. In addition, European textile machinery manufacturers are urged to be present on the most important market and at the trade fair and to offer Asian customers most advanced technology for their demanding challenges.

Impressions of the trade fair were captured in 3 videos which are available at www.vdma.org/itma.

The VDMA represents more than 3,600 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies. The industry stands for innovation, export orientation and SMEs. The companies employ around 3 million people in the EU-27, more than 1.2 million of them in Germany alone. This makes mechanical and plant engineering the largest employer among the capital goods industries, both in the EU-27 and in Germany. In the European Union, it represents a turnover volume of an estimated 860 billion euros. Around 80 percent of the machinery sold in the EU comes from a manufacturing plant in the domestic market.

Posted: November 30, 2023

Source: VDMA Textile Machinery Association

The VDMA Textile Machinery Association and VDMA China will be present in the industry hub in Hall 8 zone B. Since the strict travel restrictions are over, the VDMA team in Shanghai will be staffed again with both colleagues from the VDMA headquarters in Germany and from VDMA China.

During a press conference on the first day of the show, Dr. Janpeter Horn, chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and managing director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik expressed: “After years of cancelled or postponed trade fairs and travel restrictions, this year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME is the first edition of the show that can be attended not just by Chinese but by visitors from various countries and regions. The event is a good opportunity to meet customers and partners again in person and not just on a screen. ITMA ASIA + CITME provides a good chance to deepen the already good relations with China and other Asian countries further and to set-up new partnerships.”

Dr. Horn continued to present latest facts and figures about the German textile machinery industry. Between January and August 2023, the overall exports of textile machinery and accessories summed up to 1.7 billion euros, which was a slight decrease compared to the same period in 2022. The shipping to almost all major markets decreased between January and August: China: 440 million € (2022: 453 million €), Turkey: 205 million € (2022: 265 million €), USA: 177 million € (2022: 144 million €), India: 170 million € (2022: 228 million €).

Numerous VDMA member companies have production sites in the major Asian markets China and India and serve their customers in these countries from there. A latest VDMA business climate survey among the textile machinery companies in China showed, that 75% of all participants assessed their current business situation as either good (6%) or satisfactory (69%). For the coming quarter, 50% of the companies see the market to decline. Asked about the business situation during the next six months, 44% of the companies expect the market to remain stable, 56% expect the situation to become worse. This is also reflected in the HR of the companies: 63% expect the number of employees to remain unchanged.

How are VDMA members and their technologies contributing to a green textile production?

Here are examples of exhibitors, that stand for the entire industry:

“At Oerlikon, we contribute with our innovative technologies for resource-saving use in almost all manmade fiber spinning mills in the world. Our promise for the future is to continue to expand the zero-waste production approach and thus take care of achieving our customers’ and our own sustainability goals”, says Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Polymer Processing Solutions Division and Chief Sustainability Officer of the Oerlikon Group. “This sets out the claim of one of the world’s leading suppliers of machinery and plant solutions for manmade fiber production not only for this show: In the future, it will be solely a matter of sustainable innovations.”

Dr. Uwe Rondé, CEO of Saurer Group, said: ”For decades, sustainability has been an important part of Saurer’s vision for the future and Saurer supports its customers on the way towards a circular economy with innovative features to optimise the processing of recycled fibres. The portfolio today includes pre-, rotor- and ring-spinning machines for processing recycled fibres, and with special options even very short fibres can be spun. Saurer Twisting Solutions enable further strengthening of recycled yarns for better stability in downstream processing.”

Fritz Legler, textile marketing officer Stäubli explained: “Rising energy prices and the high cost and uncertain availability of raw materials are impacting the profitability of weaving mills beyond control. In this context, it is more important than ever to rely on production equipment from a leading technology provider like Stäubli, whose machinery features innovative materials and technologies to achieve electricity savings, operates reliably and helps to conserve raw materials, is manufactured to high quality standards for long service life and allows a high degree of recyclability. This is just one-way Stäubli is doing its part to shape a responsible future for the textile industry.”

“Sustainability and responsibility towards stakeholders are part of Groz-Beckert’s foundation. For us, this topic is indispensable in today’s society to leave good conditions for future generations. Right from the development stage of our products Groz-Beckert focuses on the consumption of resources in our own production and in the subsequent use of our products by customers. The use of our modern tools enables significant energy reductions in the production process”, explained Eric Schöller, member of the executive board, Groz-Beckert.

Dr. Janpeter Horn, managing director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik said: “Herzog’s long lasting energy-efficient machines can also process natural and recycled fibres of all kinds. Moreover, the machines guarantee a constant reliable production for cost- and energy-efficient winding and braiding. Herzog offers machines enabling a CO2-neutral Energy Production. For example, big machines including take-ups with various carrier numbers for producing synthetic ropes replacing steel-wire strength members for (floating) offshore wind platforms / deep-sea exploitation. In addition, Herzog produces braiding machines for the automatic production of braided composites saving weight and thus fuel.”

“Baldwin Technology Company will be educating the textile supply chain on how to ‘Finish with Perfection’ thanks to its TexCoat G4 precision spray finishing system”, stated Rick Stanford, VP global business development at Baldwin and continued: TexCoat G4’s non-contact spray technology offers numerous advantages compared to outdated finishing-chemistry application methods. TexCoat G4 processes a wide range of low-viscosity water-based chemicals without the need for special auxiliaries. Baldwin’s team will be available in Shanghai to discuss how its technology can meet the textile supply chain’s sustainability and carbon footprint goals while improving performance and saving money.”

Jürgen Jerzembeck, head of marketing at Setex, a company specialized in industrial automation for textile production, introduced a holistic system for active energy management that optimizes resource utilization and significantly reduces carbon footprint by dynamically adapting energy use: “Setex’s Energy Management System efficiently collects energy data via E390 controller routines, counters, and sensors. Integration of manufacturing equipment with OrgaTEX MES Plant Navigator Formulas dynamically minimizes total energy consumption while meeting production targets, offering a holistic approach to energy efficiency and sustainability.”

Gunnar Meyer, manging director of A. Monforts Textilmaschinen said: “At ITMA ASIA + CITME, Monforts experts will be on hand to explain the advantages of Montex stenters for essential drying processes in terms of production throughput – and especially in energy efficiency and resource savings. Because finishing is a particularly energy-intensive part of the textile production chain, it is exactly where convincing results can be achieved and Monforts has developed a wide range of energy-saving measures.”

Florian Baelz, managing partner of W. Baelz & Sohn, showed a way towards less energy consumption and improved performance of drum dryers using Baelz Steam Ejectors: “Replace control valves with steam ejectors to boost the performance of your drum dryers, for a higher average steam velocity in the drum and a uniform distribution of heat. With Baelz-vapordynamic you benefit from improved drying quality, speedier production and a reduction in steam consumption of around 20 %. Or save on steam generation costs and emissions by harnessing the energy in low-pressure steam, which is often simply released into the atmosphere: Baelz thermocompressors help you to achieve the right steam pressure for your production process”, explained Baelz.

According to Clemens Kaplan, product manager at the German machine manufacturer Mahlo, producers are performing a balancing act between sustainability and economically viable production in the face of steadily rising energy costs and a shortage of raw materials. Mahlo is hitting the zeitgeist with its latest developments for process optimization. “For many of our customers, the issues of quality, energy savings and return on investment play a major role,” says Kaplan and summarises: “Our goal is to combine all three points in our systems and thus optimize the customers’ production process.”

All VDMA member companies are looking forward to a successful edition of ITMA ASIA + CITME.

Posted: November 19, 2023

Source: VDMA