#Techtextil 2024

2024-03-14

Finishing first with Monforts at Techtextil 2024

Monforts – which celebrates its 140th anniversary this year – continues to lead the field in finishing and coating technologies for technical textiles. The company is looking forward to many fruitful discussions on the scope of existing and new processes and applications at the forthcoming Techtextil show in Frankfurt from April 23-26.

Monforts European-built Montex stenters have earned their leading position for fabric finishing in the technical textiles field as a result of their robustness and lifetime, versatility, reliability, economy and ecology.

Existing customers include many manufacturers making geotextiles, automotive fabrics and other functional materials, while dedicated Montex lines have also been supplied to producers of airbags, flame retardant barrier fabrics and spacer fabrics.

Wovens, knits and nonwovens

Among recent installations, a line supplied to Albarrie in Ontario, Canada, is treating specialised needlepunched nonwovens up to 4mm thick for filter media and performance fabrics, while over in northern France, Dickson-Constant has installed a bespoke Montex line at its second plant, to meet growing demand for its range of well-known sun protection and outdoor upholstery fabrics.

Germany still enjoys the leading position in the production of European technical textiles, and GTA in Neresheim is now employing three wide-width Montex lines for the production of fault-free substrates for the digital printing market based on 100% polyester warp knits.

“I have to say that the Monforts after-service has been absolutely perfect and there has been no shortage of quality, expertise and service on which we have drawn,” says GTA Managing Director Andreas Niess.

As a leading contract finisher of technical textiles for the automotive, aerospace, home furnishings and workwear markets, Knopf’s Sohn has also recently installed a fully automated Montex stenter at its plant in Helmbrechts.

Dolinschek in Baden-Württemberg meanwhile manufactures an extensive number of technical products including automotive components, geotextiles and wallcoverings, but also those for more unusual applications such as inlays for extractor hoods, cut protection fabrics and even wool felts which are employed as insulation on wind turbines. Dolinschek has developed and commercialised its own proprietary dyeing machines, but for finishing technology relies on Monforts, and has installed a seven chamber Montex TwinAir stenter range.

Monforts has many installations for technical textiles in Germany © 2024 Monforts

Montex®Coat

Dolinschek has also installed a Montex®Coat coating unit in knife execution, enabling the coating of dimensionally stable knitted fabrics with polyurethane or acrylate.

The Montex®Coat enables full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments, as well as solvent coatings to be carried out. Its key technical applications include tents, tarpaulins and awnings, black-out roller blinds and sail cloth, automotive interior fabrics and medical disposables.

Other recent Montex®Coat installations include a unit for providing an anti-slip and textured backing to upholstery fabrics with a stable and uniform foam via knife-over-roller coating at Altun Tekstil in Bursa, Turkey, and a combined Montex®Coat and Montex stenter range for Scottish weatherproofing specialist Halley Stevensons at its plant in Dundee.

“The precise process control functions of the Monforts line give our technicians the confidence to make new products as well as finely tuning the energy requirements of existing products,” says Halley Stevensons Managing Director James Campbell. “We love the fact that we can record the energy used on each production batch and use this for continual improvements and efficiency savings. The touchscreen software is visual and easy to use, moving from one screen to another to check the various parameters of processing.”

Glimpse of the future

“It’s the sheer diversity of applications for technical fabrics that makes Techtextil always such an exciting show for us,” says Monforts marketing manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “You really get a glimpse of the future and there are always growing opportunities in a number of rapidly expanding markets, such as the current need for new energy storage and transportation, for example, or the electrification of vehicles, where advanced materials can solve newly-arising challenges. At Techtextil 2024 we will be exhibiting a further new development for advanced coating about which we’ll be providing further details shortly.”

Monforts is at stand C58 in Hall 12.0 at Techtextil 2024.

Monforts sees growing potential for technical textiles in Türkiye

For many years now, Türkiye has been one of the most important markets for textile finishing, coating and continuous dyeing equipment, making ITM 2026 from June 9-13 a key event for Germany’s Monforts. At the Istanbul exhibition at stand 1117D in Hall 11, the company will put the emphasis on its machines which continue to lead the field in conventional dyeing and finishing, and also highlight the strong opportunities for Turkish textile manufacturers in the growing field of technical textiles.

Successful trade fair appearance of the IVGT members

With a total of 38,000 visitors from 102 countries and 1,700 exhibitors, the 20th Techtextil 2024 from 23 to 26 April in Frankfurt am Main once again maintained its position as the world's largest trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. The Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles also draws a positive conclusion about the course of the trade fair for its members.

SA Dynamics receives Innovation Award

Making buildings and clothing completely sustainable in the future and thus protecting the climate - SA-Dynamics is making this a reality. Dr Sascha Schriever and Maximilian Mohr were honoured with the a Techtextil Innovation Award in the "New Technologies on Sustainability & Recycling" category on behalf of the SA-Dynamics team at Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main.

Circular economy, sustainable and regional: Gebr. Otto has answers to the topics of Techtextil 2024

Techtextil, the most important trade fair of the year for Dietenheim-based yarn spinning mill Gebr Otto, came to an end last Friday, April 26. The company presented its products and reported on its latest developments at the BW-i joint stand: These include a concept for sustainable period underwear developed together with Kelheim Fibres, a yarn blend of cotton and native hemp and the collaboration with the recycling studio at ITA Augsburg. The Gebr. Otto trade fair team can draw a positive conclusion: numerous visitors on all days of the fair as well as orders for samples and new project inquiries to take home.

DiloGroup’s In-house Exhibition on the occasion of Techtextil

Techtextil in Frankfurt is traditionally one of the most important show events worldwide for DiloGroup as a specialist for complete nonwoven manufacturing lines with a long-term speciality as provider of state-of-the-art needling lines. Also this year, Dilo and group members TEMAFA and Spinnbau were situated in hall 12, booth B81, their traditional location, adjacent to needle specialist Groz-Beckert as well as partners and competitors.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

EDANA launches landmark continence report to mark the start of the World Continence Week

Today marks the official commencement of the World Continence Week. To honour this global awareness initiative, EDANA has published a comprehensive report titled "The Central Role of Absorbent Hygiene Products in the Management of Adult Urinary Incontinence: Benefits, Costs and Environmental Impact." The World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual global initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about incontinence and bladder or bowel health issues. Traditionally held in June, this awareness week aims to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide but is frequently kept secret due to widespread social stigma, embarrassment, and taboo.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.