Growing competition from Asia, geopolitical uncertainty, new regulations and the accelerating impact of AI and digitalisation are reshaping the industry. Against this backdrop, TMAS members have had a busy 2026, with new facilities, product launches and technologies addressing automation, productivity, recycling and more resource-efficient textile manufacturing.

Following a record 2025 and a number of bolt-on acquisitions, ACG Kinna has inaugurated a 1,000-square-metre expansion at its headquarters in Skene in response to growing demand for its complete textile and finished product line automation services.

Imogo, a pioneer in industrial spray dyeing, has opened a new showroom, test centre and production hub in Kinnahult. Imogo introduced its first Dye-Max prototype in 2019 and completed its first industrial-scale installation in 2021. The new facility now enables brands and manufacturers to move from laboratory development to validated commercial production in one location.

The centre features Imogo’s patented spray application technology, combining the Mini-Max laboratory system with a fully operational industrial-scale Dye-Max line for fabrics up to 2.4 metres wide and a production capacity of approximately 3 tons per day. Using as little as 0.7 litres of dye liquor per kilogram of fabric, Dye-Max delivers major reductions in water, energy, chemicals and wastewater compared with conventional dyeing.

The latest TMAS member ReSpin will also see its technology installed at Sweden’s first industrial spinning mill for recycled textile fibres. The company has developed and patented RespinJenny, a mechanical recycling technology that transforms textile waste into fibres suitable for new yarn production.

New technologies

Alongside these investments, TMAS members have introduced a number of new technologies during 2026 addressing productivity, automation and more resource-efficient textile manufacturing.

BW Converting's established Baldwin TexCoat® G4 platform uses precision spray application technology to apply chemistry with pinpoint accuracy to one or both sides of the fabric. By replacing conventional bath-based methods with a non-contact spray process, the system reduces wet pick-up by up to 50%, significantly lowering water consumption and the energy needed for drying while supporting a more consistent finishing process.

BW Converting will also showcase Corona Pure, its proven surface treatment technology for improving adhesion and enhancing fabric performance. As mills move away from C6 fluorocarbon-based water repellents towards fluorocarbon-free C0 chemistries, Corona Pure improves fabric absorbency and helps these formulations deliver stronger water-repellent performance. It reflects the company's continued focus on helping mills adapt to changing chemistry requirements while maintaining product quality.

Automatex has also developed the P12-PB Automatic Lock Stitch Quilting Unit, which doubles productivity compared with previous systems by delivering continuous programmable quilting with reduced manual intervention in the production of bedding and padded home textiles.

Eton Systems has meanwhile demonstrated its aUPS module for the rapid sorting of used garments. Based on the company’s established UPS material handling system and ETONingenious Factory 4.0 software, the system uses AI to grade individual garments by colour, size and style and, where possible, by manufacturer.

It can also identify damage, recommend possible repairs and calculate a potential resale price, providing an automated approach to sorting garments for reuse.

Looking ahead

The pace of activity will continue towards the end of the year, when TMAS members Vandewiele Sweden and Eltex showcase their latest technologies at ITMA Asia 2026 in Shanghai from November 20-24.

Eltex will present its latest ACT-MULTI system, bringing individual yarn tension monitoring and automatic control to the heat-setting process to help manufacturers maintain consistent processing conditions across every yarn position.

Heat-setting is a critical stage in the production of synthetic and blended yarns, stabilising yarn structures and locking in twist and bulk to ensure predictable performance during subsequent weaving, knitting, tufting, dyeing and finishing processes.

In weaving and related processes, Vandewiele Sweden has long-standing expertise in weft feeding and tension control. By ensuring repeatable and predictable yarn delivery at increasingly high loom speeds, its technologies enable weaving mills to operate closer to their technical limits while maintaining consistent fabric quality.

The company’s continued development of data-ready weft feeders also reflects the growing digitalisation of textile manufacturing, embedding intelligence where it can deliver measurable operational benefits without adding unnecessary complexity to demanding production environments.

“This has been a very positive year for TMAS members so far, with investment in new facilities, new technologies reaching the market and further progress in areas ranging from automation and digitalisation to more resource-efficient production,” says Therese Premler-Andersson, secretary general of TMAS, which as a member of Cematex, is closely involved with the ITMA exhibition platform for the international textile machinery industry. “These developments demonstrate the breadth of Swedish textile technology and the very practical way our members are responding to the changing requirements of manufacturers worldwide. We expect that momentum to continue throughout the remainder of 2026 and into next year.”

“There is no question that the competitive landscape is changing. AI, geopolitical uncertainty, regulation and increasing competition from China will all influence our industry in the years ahead. For Swedish textile technology companies, the answer will be to keep pushing innovation, specialist know-how and customer value.”