#Spinning

2020-05-20

New R&D lead appointments at Loepfe

Loepfe announced today the appointment of Thomas Schlegel and Roger Hilzinger to jointly head the Loepfe R&D team with effect from May 18, 2020.

To lead the Loepfe R&D team, the company has installed a double-lead consisting of Thomas Schlegel who has strong know-how in hardware, electronics, production quality and project leadership, together with Roger Hilzinger who has been leading the Loepfe software group over the past three years. The two appointments are made to replace Lorenzo Occhi who will leave Loepfe after thirteen years, eight of which were spent as Head of R&D.

Thomas Schlegel and Roger Hilzinger (c) 2020 loepfe

Roger has been working for Loepfe for a total of nine years and is well acquainted with the applications for Loepfe products in the textile market. He is an engineer with a Diploma Degree in Information Technology from Zürich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Leading Engineers from Kaleidos University of Applied Sciences Switzerland.

Thomas has a strong track record in project management and development of state-of-the-art hardware and sensor technology, as he has also held deputy head of R&D and quality management roles in the past. He has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil, a Master of Advanced Studies in Business Engineering Management from Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, and various training certificates including the INSEAD Leadership certificate.

Roger Hilzinger said: “I’m looking forward to work with Thomas. We get on really well and complement each other perfectly. We are lucky to work in Loepfe’s motivated and experienced R&D team. I am convinced that in future we will make our products even better so that our customers will benefit more, given the context of digitization and industry 4.0.”

Thomas Schlegel added: “When I was asked to take over the R&D lead at Loepfe together with Roger I was immediately enthusiastic as the two of us have worked very well together during the development project of the YarnMaster PRISMA clearer that has been launched recently. I look forward to develop even more revolutionary products with the team for our customers’ requirements and for a really bright future for Loepfe.”

Loepfe CEO Dr. Ralph Mennicke commented: “On behalf of Loepfe, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lorenzo for his valuable contributions to product development as well as company management. R&D is a key driver of product innovation and disruptive approaches in a product and solution company like Loepfe. It was a natural decision – and a great pleasure – to promote both Thomas and Roger to jointly success Lorenzo in heading the Loepfe R&D team. Roger and Thomas complement each other with their strong technical domain knowledge in hardware and software, respectively. Congratulations to both of them!”

A tradition of innovation celebrated at ITMA 2025 in Singapore

For 70 years, Loepfe has embodied precision, technological excellence, and uncompromising quality. Join us as we proudly celebrate seven decades of innovation at ITMA 2025 in Singapore. Founded in 1955 by two visionary brothers, Helmut and Erich Loepfe, the company has been a pioneer in yarn quality control – continuously pushing technological boundaries to meet and exceed industry expectations.

Leadership transition at Loepfe

Loepfe Brothers Ltd. has embarked on a new chapter with the appointment of Markus Kleindorp as the new CEO, ushering in a fresh era of leadership. Former CEO Ralph Mennicke's departure prompts restructuring, including the addition of Gregor Stalder as CFO. With this seasoned team, Loepfe aims to maintain its excellence in the textile industry.

Thermal fabric cutting system - Weftmaster cut-it for airbag fabrics

WeftMaster CUT-iT for airbag fabrics. In case of the unexpected while driving a car, people are relying on airbags for their life protection. Hence, airbag fabrics must have flawless quality. Renowned weavers of airbag fabrics take no risk; they rely on Loepfe's CUT-iT to ensure their top quality fabrics have a perfectly defined and uniform selvedge.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.

Trützschler’s Integrated Draw Frame IDF 3: Unlocking the full potential of short fiber processing

Spinning mills worldwide are looking for solutions that combine higher productivity, stable quality and shorter processes, especially when processing short fibers. Trützschler’s integrated draw frame IDF 3 has proven to be a powerful answer to these requirements. Evaluations from several customer trials in Türkiye under real production conditions highlight the strong performance of the IDF 3, particularly when combined with the next-generation card TC 30i.

Uster FiberQ excels for recycled raw materials too

Uster FiberQ is a complete solution for raw material utilization, supporting spinners to achieve consistent quality and profitability every day, building further growth for the future. The Turkish company ORTA relies on FiberQ with recycled yarn for its denim production. Data-driven knowledge puts the producer in control of raw material utilization – ready to make the correct decisions for process efficiency, quality and productivity.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.