UCMTF: an outstanding ITMA for French Machinery

ITMA 2015 has been a great opportunity for each machinery manufacturer to show its latest innovations mainly derived from down-to-earth partnerships with its clients”. Thanks to these machines the textile industrialists can introduce new products, sometimes disruptive ones, have reliable and cost efficient, energy saving production processes.

For Evelyne CHOLET, the association’s Secretary General, “it is thanks to the French machinery manufacturers long standing strategy and to the well known and appreciated stability of their teams that peer to peer relationships have been established with their customers worldwide. The latest French technology seminars organized before ITMA in Iran (in 4 textile centers) and Uzbekistan (in 2 textile centers) as well as the cooperation agreement signed with the Russian textile industry have also been very instrumental to confirm the ties with the customers from these countries and attract them to the French booths at ITMA”.

Once again, sustainability was a main theme at ITMA. The textile industry has to be an even better steward of the planet to answer the tremendous forces coming from the final consumers, the retail chains and the governments as the latest United Nations climate change conference hold in Paris just after ITMA has shown. For many years, the French machinery manufacturers have been proactive to help reach this goal and make it compatible with their customer’s financials. In 2016, the machinery manufacturers and their customers will have many more opportunities to meet, let’s just name: ITM in Istanbul (June), ITMA ASIA in Shanghai (October) and India ITME in Mumbai (December). All year round the French machinery manufacturers can be contacted through the portal www.ucmtf.com

N. SCHLUMBERGER - NSC Fibre to Yarn
Well located, the 500 square meters, NSC Fibre to Yarn booth was very active. Slightly more than 1000 textile industrialists visited the booth. They came from 52 different countries, including Turkey (15%), India (10%), Iran (9%), Germany (8%), Italy (7%), and France (4%). They were attracted by the new technical innovations, the latest developments on energy savings as well as the services offered by NSC including the new spare parts warehouses opened in Turkey, Iran and China. Two projects initiated during the show have already materialized and the machines ordered to NSC The chain gills, intersecting and combing machines were of particular interest as well as the carding machines including N. SCHLUMBERGER semi worsted card for all types of long staple chemical fibers, with 2.5 to 3.5m working width, hopper feeder, TRD drafting head, integrated suction, screen control.

SUPERBA
Superba SAS has presented its latest technological innovations on its 320m² booth, and, for the first time under the 'VANDEWIELE' banner, following the acquisition, last July, of the company by the Belgian group. World leader in the field of the continuous heat treatment of carpet yarns (heat setting), SUPERBA showed its new TVP/3S line with major innovations such as the new MLU Universal laying head enabling to switch from the production of straight-set yarns to friezed yarns within one minute compared to 1 to 2 hours before, or the new automatic doors of the sealing heads, ensuring a maximum safety and an easy access to the head elements, now controlled from a new HMI with a fully redesigned user-oriented interface. All the elements are connected to an ethernet bus, thereby allowing the entire choice of today’s remote communication means. The carpet and rug manufacturers have also expressed great interest in the new “space-dyeing” functions brought about by the new MCD3 model, and in particular, the possibility of achieving the two-tone yarn as well as combine in one sole continuous process, the dyeing, texturing (thanks to the new friezing box type MF400) and carpet yarn heat setting. The presentation of the VANDEWIELE extrusion concept, on SUPERBA’s stand, has been a big success in view of the very important number of visitors. This function is logically inserted in the complete chain of carpet manufacturing, from the polymer chip to the end product, such as the VANDEWIELE group can now propose it.
During this ITMA 2015, SUPERBA accompanied several investment projects, especially in the Middle East despite regional political tensions. The general trend is to the work thinner yarns for the manufacturing of acrylic woven carpets, which reinforces the new proposal for setting lines type LV3 which can now treat up to 96 yarns.

VERDOL
ITMA 2015 has been a very positive exhibition for VERDOL. Despite a late booking, the booth was located nearby the main entrance of Hall 2 with a very good visibility from the main central visitor’s circulation area. This fair has been an excellent opportunity for the six VERDOL representatives to update the situation to the company’s customers and clarify the new strategy and orientation. On the booth the latest release of the CD360, a direct cabler dedicated to embroidery yarns, with new improvements on textile equipment and a fully-electronic drive was demonstrated. Flexibility and performances of these machines have been highly appreciated by all visitors. In total, around 800 visitors from 37 countries were registered, among these, 220 contacts were described as serious. The most promising contacts came from Turkey, Iran and South-America. The main tendencies are the increasing request of energy savings and big expectations of process control and monitoring.

FIL CONTROL
At ITMA, FIL CONTROL has presented a full range of new and innovative products, such as the online tension sensor MYT, the optical sensor MOS-LC and a new Hall Effect Sensor. FIL CONTROL is investing heavily in R & D to increase its technological knowledge and open the door to new range of products and solutions, costs effective solutions for its customers. The company was fully rewarded with a large affluence on its stand: more than 50 visitors per day, coming from all around the world, such as India (9%), China (8%), Turkey (8%), France and of course Italy. Moreover, it was not only the number of visitors, but most important, their quality and interest in the new products, that enlightened ITMA 2015. With the success of this event, FIL CONTROL’s team is more confident than ever, and has already started working with several new important manufacturers to equip their future machines and help them to answer the best way to the global demand.

PETIT
PETIT has a consequent and permanent storage capacity of spare parts with more than 20 000 references multi brand for fine count textile machines especially for ICBT and looms for Saurer Diederichs. All technical drawings for manufacturing of spare parts compliant with the genuine ones. An acknowledged know how with a wealth experience in the field of covering, texturizing, twisting.
PETIT is the specialist in the trade of accessories for textile machines. The company is also covering spindles manufacturer with a range for bobbin from 400 grs to 2000 grs and rotation speed from 1000 to 30000 rpm.

LAROCHE
A very good attendance was registered on LAROCHE booth, particularly from North America, Turkey, India, Uzbekistan. A couple of large orders that were already in the works were finalized and a few medium size orders negotiated during the show. Meetings with the customers showed again that energy saving from reducing the energy consumption of a given process by a few percent can be significant but recycling products may get into another order of magnitude. For example, when cotton fabrics are recycled back into fibers and then new fabrics processed (woven, knitted or nonwoven), the global benefits of replacing virgin cotton by recycled cotton means less water, pesticides, fertilizers, energy associated to their manufacturing and transportation,… This also frees up land. LAROCHE sees a strong trend to recycle post-consumer wastes (clothings, mattresses, carpets…). To help its customers in studying their investments, LAROCHE is commissioning two new Airlay lines in its demo room in Cours la Ville (France). Both lines are available for customer trials:

• Airlay type “Flexiloft 1500”+ Schott&Meissner”Topcon” thermobonding oven. All types of fibers (natural, synthetic, recycled and bast fibers) and blends incorporating non fibrous materials such as foam chips, wood, chopped thermoplastic composites can be processed. The high bonding power, precise thickness setting and high compression of the Schott &Meissner oven allows to take full advantage of the “Flexiloft” Airlay.
• Airlay type “Airfelt/Resin felt” 2400. The “Airfelt” is a simpler type of vertical Airlay which retains the advantages of true air forming technology. It is suitable for most products used by the automotive and furniture industries. With the “Resin felt” option it is possible to add phenolic or epoxy resin to the airlaid mat which is then semi cured in a steam oven.

Another “Flexiloft 2400” followed by an Andritz needle loom is also available. Also equipped with waste recycling, bast fiber processing, opening and blending equipment, the LAROCHE demo room allows to explore all the opportunities of innovative airlaid products.

AESA Air Engineering
AESA CEO, Gilles GRIMAL, was very happy with the booth attendance and thanks the ITMA team for the perfect organization of the exhibition. AESA is a leader in air engineering for all textile production processes of natural fibers, man-made fibers and filaments in their different stages: spinning, knitting, weaving, hosiery, different types of nonwovens and fiber productions, as well as dyeing and finishing. AESA received many interested visitors from India, Iran, North America and Europe. They were particularly focusing on better energy and environmental efficiency for which AESAs know-how and experience in design and implementation of air conditioning plants, is well known worldwide. Demand was strong for AESA-FLXICONTROL in spinning and weaving factories, for WEAVE DIRECT systems which offer substantial reductions in power consumption combined with accurate condition building on weaving looms thanks to a dedicated supply air ducting system with diffusers above each loom and DIGIVENT control and monitoring system.

STÄUBLI
STÄUBLI demonstrated 13 innovations at ITMA, all of which offer greater advantages and are aligned with the needs and expectations of the market. A number of business agreements were made at the show, and the Stäubli sales teams must now convert the significant interest shown at ITMA into concrete business during the forthcoming months. Following this successful trade fair, STÄUBLI is looking forward to 2016 with strong optimism. Spotlight on some STÄUBLI novelties: The SAFIR S60 automatic drawing-in machine was successfully launched. Interested visitors watched it in operation and were amazed by the dependable automatic optical yarn & color detection functions. Also launched recently is the SAFIR S40 automatic drawing-in system with mobile drawing-in trucks, which is especially interesting for denim weavers. From an elevated deck at the booth, visitors could perfectly observe the new SX, LX and LXL Jacquard machines operating in combination with STÄUBLI Jacquard harnesses and healds underlining the profound system understanding STÄUBLI provides to weavers by means of its Jacquard weaving machinery in combination with STÄUBLI Jacquard accessories. A large part of the booth was dedicated to the newly unveiled ALPHA 500 INNOVATION carpet weaving system with an accessible weavers stand. Another highlight and world premiere was demonstrated by the STÄUBLI product brand SCHÖNHERR carpet systems: Magic Shadow Effect (patent pending) for weaving single-colour carpets featuring astounding designs. The STÄUBLI product area DEIMO Knitting Solutions presented a world novelty to the knitting industry, which responded with amazement: the D4S fully automatic toe-linking device. Installed directly on the knitting machine, it permits unloading socks on the fly and ensures very short downtimes.

EBELMANN
Established in 1981, specialized in hard materials' machining, EBELMANN’S devices are designed to offer the weaving industry highly efficient cutting. As more and more customers are asking for specific devices according to their special applications, the company is organized to offer such solutions. The company knows that its future is in that way. At ITMA, EBELMANN showcased a display of cutting devices with technical fibers. This presentation attracted more than 300 visitors including new contacts from the Americas and France. Since then, some have already sent first orders. To go even further, at the leading edge of technology, EBELMANN is investing in a new robotized sharpening machine.

MALLEIN
With 70 years of experience, MALLEIN is a specialist of the beam for warping and weaving, able to answer to all needs of today’s textile activity. The entire integration of its aluminum foundry and all of its production facilities allows MALLEIN to answer to all specifics enquiries particularly thanks to his know-how in special aluminum alloys. At ITMA, MALLEIN exhibited its new range of aluminum canisters, canisters that are even stronger and with the greatest geometric precision.

ROUSSELET Group / CALLEBAUT de BLICQUY
At ITMA, the exclusive new design for continuous fiber treatment (dyeing, bleaching and impregnation) process met a success that overtook even CDB’s the most optimistic expectations. Thanks to this new design for continuous process, the payback results show how this technology is giving a strategic advantage in global competition. Savings are made at every steps of the process, as very little manpower is required for a high production rate, liquor ratio is drastically reduced, quality is constant. Then, the bath exhaustion measurement product range was highly requested by customers. Indeed, the wish of being able to see what is happening during dyeing process becomes a reality, from laboratory equipment, with ADM (Analyser Dyeing Master) till the monitoring of the customers’ production machine with ADP (Analyser Dyeing Process). Now, either on light colors or very dark ones, CDB is able to provide a technology that is reproducible and reliable. These innovations will help to understand how to optimize the process with ADM, and how to control it efficiently with ADP. Batch centrifuges, suitable for any kind of textile, in any form, with its unique range of basket developed to fit any request from ROUSSELET attracted many customers. The everyday aim of the CDB/ROUSSELET group is to offer a complete line of machines, more profitable for the clients, making this world greener and having an open minded idea of what will be a dyehouse in next generation.

ALLIANCE Machines Textiles
ALLIANCE Machines Textiles has exhibited three machines during ITMA: RIVIERA ECO GREEN low liquor dyeing machine, ROTORA beam dyeing machine and LABOJET laboratory dyeing machine. ALLIANCE machines are highly efficient with minimum water consumptions (low liquor ratio from 1/2 to 1/3) for dyeing treatments in discontinue in order to obtain a perfect quality and according to the environment respect. Many Turkish customers have been very interested by the machines. Many also from France, Italy, Belgium and the Maghreb. Also from Iran and Egypt and from South America (Mexico, Brazil) and North America. More than 200 customers have been interested. More than 100 offers have already been sent all over the world. Alliance team is going to follow these offers.

DOLLFUS & MULLER
The ITMA Milano 2015 exhibition was way above the expectations for DOLLFUS & MULLER and even “the best ITMA show of all times” according to David Fauconnier, Sales Director. Both the quantity and the quality of visitors were very good. DOLLFUS & MULLER manufactures endless felts and dryer belts for the textile finishing and nonwovens factories. A very high interest was noted on the new compacting felt for the finishing of knitted fabrics introduced during this ITMA edition, many orders have already been taken. During the exhibition, this new endless compactor felt was disclosed “in production”. Furthermore, the company registered a great demand for its sanforizing felts, transfer printing felts, mesh dryer belts for the printing, the relaxation and thermobonding ovens. A significant interest was finally seen for its new range of decatizing satin wrappers for the finishing of woolen fabrics.
The main visitors during the ITMA show at the DOLLFUS & MULLER booth were coming from India, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, Germany, France, Iran, Egypt, Spain and Portugal.

SPOOLEX: DECOUP+, ROLL CONCEPT and CALEMARD
The SPOOLEX team welcomed around 300 visitors to present them the lines of products proposed under the well-known brands Calemard, Decoup+ and Roll Concept. These brands attract worldwide textile/technical textiles producers and converters, and this year an increase on the nonwoven market was registered. Decoup+, the ultrasonic cutting/sealing solutions division, has launched with success its new manual ultrasonic welding station for stitching operations without any additional material, on small and medium size series. Many contacts are now waiting for the motorized version. Roll Concept has established its competence in designing and assembling all in house, low inertia and economical technical rolls (aluminum, steel or composites rollers). Calemard, which celebrates its 60 year, is a reference in quality slitting-rewinding/spooling solutions. With numerous promising contacts taken, several standard slitter-rewinders should be delivered in 2016. Thanks to the increasing number of visitors involved in nonwovens, the team also met numerous contacts interested by the spooling line for jumbo spools, the well-known Pegase line and specially the latest version which is fully automated. The visitors’ interest in SPOOLEX’ new competence in productivity booster solutions has strengthened the company desire to gather its brands skills and know-how to offer complete converting cells with automated operations for higher productivity, flexibility and operator’s safety. All the team is now working to send the information, trials and proposals requested.

SCHAEFFER Productique
The new management solutions presented (ERP, BPM, SaaS-Cloud and Mobility applications) strongly interested visitors who expressed their enthusiasm. SCHAEFFER Productique welcomed more than 160 visitors on its stand: customers, prospects, existing and potential partners, institutions, schools, laboratories, colleagues, from 39 countries, mostly from France and Germany-Switzerland-Austria.
SCHAEFFER Productique also received the steering committee of the European standard for textile data interchange (eBIZ), driven by Euratex. Traceability and data exchange, in the heart of the needs of the profession, are also processed by the company’s eBIZ-compatible platform EcolTex®.Several concrete projects, that integrate ERP components associated with Business Process Management and use of internet technologies, are emerging. This dynamic confirms the acceleration of new uses of digital technology in organizations and in the evolution of textile business models.