Innovations for warp preparation at the cutting edge

In addition, the overall presentation was right on target. As at every ITMA, the KARL MAYER stand was a meeting point for the industry. “In a market that is increasingly characterised by Chinese competitors and price pressure, we have demonstrated our strong presence,” says Dieter Gager. The Vice President Sales & Marketing at KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation Business Unit and his team negotiated numerous projects and discussed upcoming investments in the course of the trade fair. Many manufacturers want to expand or modernise and are gathering information, but are waiting for a recovery in global demand, according to Dieter Gager's assessment. When the market picks up, they will benefit from their knowledge of the innovations presented at the trade fair.

One of the highlights was the WARPDIRECT, a latest-generation warping machine with an excellent price-performance ratio. The possible warping speed is an unbeatable 1,200 m/min. The quality of the beams produced is also unrivalled. Thanks to the high level of quality, yarn waste can be saved during the sizing process and the efficiency of the downstream weaving process can be maximised. Other advantages include high operational reliability and less maintenance work. With this performance, the WARPDIRECT attracted the attention of trade fair visitors from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries neighbouring China.

Visitors were also interested in two innovative solutions for sizing with advantages when using the PROSIZE®.

The brand new CASCADE system reduces steam consumption by up to 7% thanks to intelligent steam recycling within the machine. This enables significant savings in energy costs and CO2 equivalents over the entire utilisation cycle of the machine and not as a one-off effect.

The second innovation in the group of novelties relating to sizing is the Smart Size Box. This sophisticated technology uses sensors and digital solutions to monitor the condition of wear components, making a valuable contribution to predictive maintenance. The customer can plan interruptions due to maintenance work in advance, avoid uncalculated downtimes and fully utilise the performance potential of the PROSIZE®.

The highly efficient sizing machine operates at a speed of 160 m/min, with 200 m/min possible as an option. With a yarn cover factor of up to 100 % - 20 % more than conventional systems - a high sizing quality is achieved and the range of applications is extended.

The feedback at the trade fair on the Size Box with the big plus in customer benefits was encouraging. “By focusing our development activities on maximum machine availability and digital solutions, we have hit the nerve of the times,” says Dieter Gager.

To ensure high machine availability, a combined Care X-Tend and Connectivity package was also presented at the trade fair. Among other things, the package provides easy access to fast remote assistance. Unlike conventional teleservice support, images and large amounts of data can now be exchanged easily and securely, minimising interruptions to operations.