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Kai Nebel Head of Sustainability and Recycling Research & Sustainabilty Representative Texoversum, Reutlingen University, Reutlingen /Germany Natural fibers – possibilities and opportunities Natural fibers have served humankind since time immemorial as an important raw material for many everyday items, whether as clothing, technical textile products or, in the case of cellulose fibers, as dietary fiber in our nutrition. While the very first textiles used by our ancestors were still mainly of animal origin, in the form of furs and pelts, plant fibers were increasingly discovered as a resource for a wide variety of applications. Following the example of nature, the different types of fibers were used according to their natural purpose, or according to their morphological and technological properties. Wool, for example, was and still is used mainly as clothing and as protection against the cold because of its flexible, insulating and warming properties, while the stiff, smooth and strong bast fibers such as flax or hemp were more suitable for use as ropes, nets or even bowstrings. In today's industrial and consumer society, natural fibers are indispensable, despite competition from synthetic fibers – especially in the textile sector. Particularly in the course of the trend towards more sustainability, the interest and thus the demand for fiber products of natural origin is increasing. Many companies in the textile and clothing industry have admittedly adopted the motto "back to nature" in order to give their customers the good feeling that by consuming natural fiber products they are countering climate change by turning away from fossil rawmaterials. But why aren't far more textile products made from natural fibers being produced or used in terms of sustainability? On one hand, the term "sustainability" is very strained and real sustainability effects are difficult to verify. On the other hand, the market demands constant availability of materials and products with high, preferably defined and long-lasting performance, at the lowest possible prices. It is virtually in the nature of things, or rather of natural fibers and their production itself, that these cannot easily replace synthetic fibers – who would want to rely on a biodegradable seat belt? The increasing demand for fibers, or rather the hunger for consumption, of a growing world population cannot be satisfied sustainably due to the scarcity of available agricultural land, problems such as competition for land with food production, weather risks and the inhomogeneous distribution of industrial infrastructures. Thus, there are also limits to the expansion of the largest cultivation and production structures to date, first and foremost the cotton industry, followed by jute, coconut, flax and wool production. In our textile world, natural fibers with their diverse properties and applications will continue to make an important contribution to our textile raw material supply in the future, but they alone will not save the environment and climate. Natural fiber production, whether for paper and packaging raw materials, for technical products and textiles, or as a cellulose source for regenerated fibers, also devours resources and pollutes the environment, both during cultivation but also during their processing into products, not to mention the recycling problem. Modern synthetic fibers are unbeatable in terms of their technological performance, their efficient and application-specific definable production and use options, as well as their durability and recycling potential. However, synthetic fibers and natural fibers are not competitors – depending on the required product properties or application areas, both have their intended use, or can complement each other very well in the combination of their specific properties. Natural fibers do not emit microplastics and have inestimable advantages as renewable raw materials. From an applicationspecific point of view, these advantages lie primarily in their physiological properties, but also in their CO2 storage capacity and biodegradability. Natural fibers are an offer from nature, whose synthesis performance we should honor by producing natural fibers in an environmentally compatible manner, allowing fair pricing to their agricultural producers, and processing them into products in which their natural potential and properties are brought to bear. The trend of wanting to use more and more natural fiber raw materials for an increasing number of consumer products un- fortunately too often ends up in eco-marketing or even greenwashing. Only a change in our consumer behavior, longterm use and mindful handling of our natural resources is the key to greater sustainability. Natural fibers deserve our appreciation – they are too valuable for throwaway products or fast fashion items. 3 MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023 LEADER
LEADER 3 Natural fibers – possibilities and opportunities K. Nebel NEWS 6 – 17 FIBERS & YARNS 18 – 21 Comparative study of fabric comfort properties of different man-made cellulosic fibers R. Nagpure et al. 22 – 23 New plant-based fibers from the residues of agricultural lavender plants J. Sarsour, I. Hildermann, S. Zikeli et al. 24 – 25 Significant increase in shipments of draw-texturing machinery 2021 ITMF 26 – 28 Polyamide dissolution and recovery from fiber blends for recycling A.P. Manian et al. 29 – 31 Synchrotron radiation for the analysis of inorganic fibers – especially basalt fibers H. Lichtenberg, J. Hormes, W. Klysubun et al. SPINNING 32 – 33 Global increase of shipments of spinning machinery in 2021 ITMF WEAVING 34 – 35 Shipments of air-jet weaving machines +56% in 2021 ITMF KNITTING 36 – 37 Tensile properties of tricot warp knitted fabrics M. Munjal et al. 38 – 39 Flat knitting machinery shipments up over 100% in 2021 ITMF CONTENTS I S SUE 1 | 2023 | VOLUME 2 9 Page 22 – 23 FIBERS & YARNS Page 9 NEWS 4 MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023 CONTENTS
VISIT US AT: TEXTILETECHNOLOGY.NET TEXTILE FINISHING 40 – 42 Moisture management finish of polyamide fiber fabrics for athleisure N.M.Saraf, S.P. Valia 43 – 44 Reducing energy consumption and purifying exhaust air on textile finishing machines Brückner Textile Technologies 44 Creating colors from waste fashion Archroma MANAGEMENT 10 Urs Meier 12 Gunnar Meyer, Stefan Flöth 12 Stéphane Thouvay 17 Thomas Oetterli, Norbert Klapper 17 Philipp Ebbinghaus 23 Simon Whitmarsh-Knight 23 Christoph Riemer, Dietmar Clausen, Felix Grimm, Wolfgang Nowak, Martin Haberl 42 Matthias Holzammer, Eelco Spoelder 42 IB Jensen, Jan Secher 44 Eric Hopman, Yalin Xu STATEMENT 46 The 5 biggest challenges in the textile industry for 2023 G.T. Gresser INFOS 28 Calendar (see German magazine) 31 New book 45 Company index 45 Imprint Page 26 –28 FIBERS & YARNS 5 MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023 CONTENTS
COMPANY: Zünd NEWS: New subsidiary New subsidiary in Spain COMPANY: Andritz / Renewcell NEWS: Recycling New fibers from waste textiles COMPANY: Hammer-IMS NEWS: Investment €2.5 million investment capital raised COMPANY: Monforts NEWS: Anniversary 40th anniversary of Montex Maschinen- fabrik COMPANY: Schmietex Engineering NEWS: Acquisition Takeover of the stich bonding range from Naplafa COMPANY: Rieter NEWS: Business 56% sales increase in 2022 COMPANY: Trützschler NEWS: Investment BU Card Clothing expands its production site COMPANY: Lectra NEWS: Acquisition Acquisition of capital in TextileGenesis Page 6– 17 COMPANY: Unifi NEWS: Recycling Major expansion of Textile Takeback ASSOCIATION: DNFI NEWS: Fibers Less global natural fiber production COMPANY: Textilchemie Dr. Petry NEWS: Acquisition Takeover of Industrie-Chemie Stein COMPANY: Trevira NEWS: Fibers On the way to a circular economy COMPANY: Lenzing / Renewcel l NEWS: Recycling From linear to circular business model EVENT: Heimtextil NEWS: Business Transformation to more sustainability TESTING: Oeko-Tex NEWS:: Labeling New regulations 2023 NEWS ASSOCIATION: ITMF NEWS: Spinning Increasing fiber consumption in 2021 TESTING: Hohenstein NEWS: New subsidiary New testing lab in Shanghai ASSOCIATION: ITMF NEWS: Business Business situation worsens EVENT: ITM Uzbekistan NEWS: Business Exhibition expands to Central Asia COMPANY: Autoneum NEWS: Acquisition Takeover of automotive business of Borgers COMPANY: Carbios / Novozymes NEWS: Partnership Partnership in bio-recycling of PET COMPANY: Brückner NEWS: Production New dryer doubles production capacity COMPANY: Loepfe NEWS: Business New business units in China, India and Turkey COMPANY: Brückner NEWS: Production State-of-the-art stenter to Argentina Your trade media in a new look Dear Readers, Right now, you are holding our first issue of Melliand International in the new layout in your hands. We continue to follow and constantly adapt to the trends and markets in the textile industry – hence the change to a fresher, modern appearance. The established competent reporting from and about the complete textile supply chain from fiber raw materials to fiber production, fibers, yarns, yarn production, fabric production, textile finishing, and the extensive area of technical textiles and nonwovens remains. Our editorial, sales and marketing teams are also unchanged. In order to satisfy all areas /topics and trends, we will also continue to retain the independent specialist titles. However, from now on Chemical Fibers International will become Man-Made Fibers International, so that we can also do justice to the increasing trend towards recycled and bio-based fibers. The trade media Man-Made Fibers International (MMFI), Technical Textiles / Technische Textilien (TT), Melliand International / Melliand Textilberichte (MI/MTB) and NonwovensTrends (NWT) are published under our TextileTechnology umbrella brand. In addition, there is the joint online presence TextileTechnology.net with 4 free newsletters/week. We would be very happy for you to send us your opinions, comments, and feedback on our new but also tried and tested media world – simply by e-mail to claudia.vanbonn@dfv.de. Claudia van Bonn Editor-in-Chief TextileTechnology TAKE A LOOK! 6 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
Cotton futures have been inverted for nearly 3 years because of supply chain disruptions that prevented normal on-time deliveries of international shipments. World cotton production is estimated at 24.2 million tons in 2022/23 (August to July), 700,000 tons lower than in 2021/22 (Source: ICAC.org). World cotton production rose from 20 to 25 million tons between 2020/21 and 2005/06. Based on latest figures from the Discover Natural Fibres Initiative (DNFI), world natural fiber production in 2022 is estimated as of early January at 32 million tons, approx. 1 million below production in 2021. World production of jute is forecast down nearly 400,000 tons in 2022 because of inadequate rainfall during the harvest period to permit proper retting. Production in India is estimated up by 100,000 tons to 1.7 million tons, but production in Bangladesh fell by nearly one-third to just 1 million tons. Production of coir, flax and sisal in 2022 are each estimated based on recent trends. Coir and flax have each been trending upward over the past decade, while world sisal production has been largely stable. World wool production is forecast up 5% in 2022 to 1.09 million tons (clean), the highest since 2018. The AustralianWool Production Forecasting Committee issued its 3rd estimate of 2022/23 production in December 2022, keeping the estimate unchanged from September. Above-average rainfall in Australia, and across most of the Southern Hemisphere, is resul- ting in better pasture conditions and a rebuilding of sheep numbers. Sheep numbers shorn in Australia are climbing from 67 million in 2020/21 to 72 million in 2021/22 and to an estimated 75 million in 2022/23. An initiative by Unifi is designed to collect and recycle polyester-based fabric waste, including both pre- and postconsumer fabrics, and transform it into a recycled performance fiber that powers top brands and sustainable goods worldwide. Now the company has announced a major expansion of its innovative Textile Takeback program which recycles the waste into Repreve fiber. With millions of tons of textile waste discarded each year, Textile Takeback aims to transform the industry’s takemake-waste model by providing a sustainable way to recycle landfill-bound textiles and create new products. Using the proprietary process, the company transforms dyed and undyed polyesterbased textile discards into recycled resin through an innovative material conversion process. The recycled resin is then converted into Repreve fiber, or it may be blended with recycled bottle material to achieve desired specifications. The material then begins its life cycle again and avoids a trip to the landfill. By focusing on sustainable solutions that create a closed-loop circular system, Textile Takeback from Unifi Inc., Greensboro, NC/USA, serves as an actionable step towards addressing the industry’s waste footprint. As the makers of Repreve, Unifi has transformed more than 35 billion plastic bottles into recycled fiber for new apparel, footwear, home goods, and other consumer products. Initially piloted in 2011, Textile Takeback will include an expanded global footprint and product application scope, making a sustainable solution for waste accessible to partners at scale ASSOCIATION: DNFI NEWS: Fibers COMPANY: Unifi NEWS: Recycling Less global natural fiber production million tons Major expansion of Textile Takeback 32 world natural fiber production in 2022 The specialty chemicals manufacturer Textilchemie Dr. Petry has taken over Industrie-Chemie Stein GmbH (ICS), Hechingen/Germany, effective January 1, 2023. ICS, which has been managed by Frank Ellner for 34 years, ceased production and sales of its textile auxiliaries at the end of 2022. Takeover of Industrie-Chemie Stein COMPANY: Textilchemie Dr. Petry NEWS: Acquisition The product range, which mainly includes auxiliaries for special applications, complements the range of Textilchemie Dr. Petry GmbH, Reutlingen/Germany, and will continue unchanged there. ICS customers can contact the textile specialists at Textilchemie Dr. Petry directly with orders and application-related questions. Ellner will continue to be available for consultation. 7 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
2022 was marked by unprecedented crises. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, disrupted supply chains and the energy predicament triggered by the war in Ukraine has shaped recent global economic conditions. Because of these influences, particularly the rapidly rising energy and raw material costs, the flame retardant Trevira fibers and filament yarns business also came under pressure. Overall, the outlook for polyester manufacturer Trevira GmbH, Bobingen/Germany, in 2023 is slightly optimistic, but the market is only expected to recover in quarters 2-3. The production of flame retardant staple fibers Trevira CS fell slightly short of the targets set for 2022. In the first 9 months this was around 10% higher than a year earlier, but this was put into perspective by a significant drop in demand in the 4th quarter of 2022. Business proved particularly robust in Italy and Turkey, where the company achieved the targets set for 2022. Particularly noteworthy in the past year is the high demand for recycled fibers (pre-consumer) for use in Trevira CS eco textiles. Due to delays in the ramp-up phase, it was not possible to fully meet the requested quantities. Significant growth potential is seen here for 2023. The investment in a newmelt filter for one of the company’s spinning plants and the resulting process optimization will help to better meet the increasing demand. In the area of flame retardant filament yarns, the targets set for 2022 fell slightly short, and in terms of volume performed about 4% below plan. For 2023, Trevira has set a growth target of 5% for this segment. Trevira CS fabrics are also available in recycled variants. They consist of fiber and filament yarns obtained in various recycling processes. Trevira CS eco qualities have a recycled content of at least 50%. Filament yarns are produced using recycled PET bottles, meaning yarns contain 50% post-consumer recycled material. Recycled fibers are made from 100% recycled material (pre-consumer recycling) obtained from production waste via an agglomeration plant and further processing steps. All flame retardant, recycled Trevira products are GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified. There is a take-back and recycling option for Trevira CS fabrics. Used Trevira CS fabrics (post-consumer) or unsold Trevira CS residual materials (pre-consumer) can be recycled as part of the Trevira CS return program. Only Trevira CS qualified fabrics can be returned. The mechanical recycling process and further processing into nonwovens occurs at Altex Gronauer Filz GmbH, Gronau /Germany. A long-term goal is to move into a closed-loop economy. The starting point for the new development is a chemically recycled raw material. Thus, in this Trevira CS product development, fibers and filament yarns are made from raw material that is predominantly chemically recycled, and to a small extent from renewable raw materials. COMPANY: Trevira NEWS: Fibers On the way to a circular economy A multi-year supply agreement has been signed between the supplier of sustainably produced specialty fibers Lenzing AG, Lenzing /Austria, and the textile-to-textile recycling pioneer Renewcell AB, Stockholm/Sweden, and will accelerate the transition of the textile industry froma linear to a circular business model. The agreement contains the sale of 80,000 to 100,000 tons of Renewcell’s 100% recycled textile Circulose dissolving pulp to Lenzing over a 5-year period, for use in the production of cellulosic fibers for fashion and other textile applications. By signing the agreement, Lenzing is able to further integrate recycling and accelerate the transition of the textile industry from linear to circular. Canopy Planet Society, Vancouver/Canada, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting forests, species, and climate, welcomes the agreement between Lenzing and Renewcell. With its Refibra and Eco Cycle technologies, Lenzing offers solutions for transforming the textile and nonwovens industries towards a circular economy. Part of its corporate strategy and sustainability targets is to offer its Tencel and Lenzing Ecovero branded specialty textile fibers with up to 50% post-consumer recycled content on a commercial scale by 2025. Circulose originates 100% from textile waste, like old jeans and production scraps, and turns into dissolving pulp. It transforms textile waste and production scrap into new high-quality textile products. COMPANY: Lenzing / Renewcell NEWS: Recycling From linear to circular business model April 18 – 21, 2023 in Geneva / Switzerland Info: www.indexnonwovens 8 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
(L-to-R) Carolin Till, Alexandra Bohn, Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, Olaf Schmidt, (Source: dfv media group) Make and Remake (Source: dfv media group) As one of the most globally interconnected industries, future EU-wide supply chain legislations will pose challenges to the home textiles industry while enabling market opportunities. On January 10, 2023, the Heimtextil opened with a podium discussion on the subject of sustainability transformation. Around 2,400 exhibitors from 120 countries presented products and innovations for home and contract textiles from January 10-13, 2023, in Frankfurt/Germany. The exchange with certifiers in the Green Village also enabled buyers to think about sustainability in all its aspects. Textile certificates guarantee not only origin and quality level, but also proof that a product meets social and ecological standards. From 2023, the Green Village also included companies that act in a holistically sustainable manner. Heimtextil exhibitors are also increasingly focusing on transformation strategies that take into account multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include innovative sustainable product designs – from fibers made of PET to linen in combination with other natural fibers such as hemp to bed linen made of cotton coated with cork. Photovoltaic systems to cover electricity needs from renewable sources are also examples – or filter systems that recycle wastewater generated by textile finishing. In the trend area "Textiles Matter", 4 ways of circular economy were presented and gave the market impulses for sustainable development. Materials, supply chains, social responsibility: these topics were also highlighted at the panel talk and is how sustainability is presented holistically as a cross-sectional theme at Heimtextil. Panelists Caroline Till, Director and Co-Founder FranklinTill Studio, Prof. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, futurologist and Executive Director of the International Institute for Sustainability Management, and Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies of Messe Frankfurt, discussed the transformation towards sustainability from several perspectives under the moderation of Alexandra Bohn, Style Content Director of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Quarterly. EVENT: Heimtextil NEWS: Business Transformation to more sustainability Trust within the textile and leather industry is based on consistently high quality. The OekoTex Association is again publishing updates to the applicable test criteria, limit values and guidelines for its certifications. Starting April 2023, the new Oeko-Tex Organic Cotton certification will focus on reliable labelling of organic cotton textiles. The aim is not only to check production, but to make the raw materials traceable through the supply chain. Oeko-Tex has issued a general ban on the use of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS/PFC) in textiles, leather and footwear for the Standard 100, Leather Standard and Eco Passport. Further changes are being planned for Oeko-Tex Eco Passport certification: the self-assessment will become mandatory for all customers' production sites from April 2023. The Oeko-Tex Association, Zurich/Switzerland, is publishing the new test criteria, 2023. All new regulations will finally come into force on April 1, 2023. An important partnership was created with sustainability accelerator GoBlu International Ltd., Hong Kong/China. The BHive app from GoBlu into STeP will enable certified production companies to check sustainability require- ments and chemical management in global supply chains. By integrating with Oeko-Tex STeP, STeP customers reap the benefits of a comprehensive chemical database that ensures long-term reductions in labor, time and costs. The use of intelligent systems also optimizes reliable compliance with recognized industry standards such as the STeP MRSL and the ZDHC MRSL. The new 2023 regulations are available for all Oeko-Tex products at www.oeko-tex.com/news. TESTING: Oeko-Tex NEWS: Labeling New regulations 2023 9 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
Urs Meier MANAGEMENT Using carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) in construction was considered revolutionary, if not utopian, a good 40 years ago. Urs Meier, the former director of Empa's Dübendorf campus, who came up with this idea and contributed significantly to its realization through his research and developments, celebrate his 80th birthday on January 8, 2023. During his career, Meier acquired several patents and published around 300 scientific and technical papers. He gave hundreds of lectures, courses and keynote speeches around the world to promote the use of composites, especially CFRP in construction. Meier has also received a number of prestigious awards: In 2004, the Canada Research Network thanked him for his years of collaborationwith a scholarship named after him, the Urs Meier Scholarschip. In 2005, the Royal Military College of Canada awarded himan honorary doctorate, honoring himas the "intellectual originator of Canada's successes in the field of carbon fiber-reinforced structures." The following year, the International Society for Fiber-Reinforced Plastics in Construction (IIFC) honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This was followed in 2007 by the Fellowship Award of the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (ISHMII). In 2008, the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich awarded him the Staudinger-Durrer Medal on the occasion of his retirement for his many years of lecturing at the university. In 2019, he received the Fellow Award of the Society for the Advancement of Materials and ProcessEngineering(SAMPE),whichisrepresented in around 40 countries. And finally, in 2022, at the conclusion of the 18th European Bridge Conference in Edinburgh, Meier was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Even after his (official) retirement in 2008, Meier remained at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Empa, Dübendorf/Switzerland, and worked on various projects. One of the more recent works was an expert opinion on a rail bridge in Stuttgart-Degerloch / Germany. In 2021, the textile industry was able to record a slight capacity growth and a higher fiber materials consumption. The International Textile Industry Statistics (ITIS) on productive capacity and raw materials consumption in the short-staple organized (spinning mill) sector in virtually all textile-producing countries worldwide hast been published by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), Zurich/Switzerland. The global number of installed short-staple spindles has grown by 2.7 % to 225 million units in 2021. The number of installed open-end rotors slightly increased from 7.9 million to 8.3 million. These positive trends contrast with the previous years; mainly because capacities are growing in Asia & Oceania again, led by China. The tendencies observed in other regions are stable. The number of installed air-jet spindles increased in all regions in 2021. The substitution between shuttle and shuttle-less looms continued in 2021. The number of installed shuttle-less looms increased from 1.62 million in 2020 to 1.72 million in 2021 while installed shuttle looms reached 927,000. Total raw material consumption in the short-staple organized sector is back to expected levels after the pandemic and increased from 41,4 million tons in 2020 to 45,6 million tons in 2021. Consumption of raw cotton, synthetic, and cellulosic short-staple fibers increased by 14 %, 4 %, and 11 %, respectively. With the opening of another laboratory in Shanghai/China, testing service provider Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG, Bönnigheim/Germany, is growing its international network. Starting in the first quarter of 2023, the new textile laboratory in the Pudong District industrial park will supplement theHong Kong laboratory capacity with testing and on-site inspection services in the hot spots of textile production. The new laboratory will offer suppliers, manufacturers, brands, and retailers a wide range of testing service on textile quality. Increasing fiber consumption in 2021 New testing lab in Shanghai ASSOCIATION: ITMF NEWS: Spinning TESTING: Hohenstein NEWS: New subsidiary (Source: AdobeStock) 10 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
USE THIS SPACE FOR YOUR ADVERTSING MESSAGE. OUR READERS ARE YOUR TARGETGROUP. CHECK OUR MEDIAKIT NOW & PLAN YOUR CAMPAIGN! → textiletechnology.net FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. The ITM International Textile Machinery Exhibition, an important exhibition in this field, will be held in a country other than Turkey for the first time this year under the name 'ITM Uzbekistan'. The ITM Uzbekistan 2023 exhibition, which will be held in Tashkent/Uzbekistan on September 12-15, 2023, will bring together buyers from the Central Asian region with textile and garment technology manufacturers from all over the world. ITM Uzbekistan will be organized in the following odd years, i.e. 2025, 2027, etc. The exhibition calendar was created by taking into account the dates of the exhibitions organized in the same sector in different countries of the world and in Europe and the benefits of the sector. The new exhibition center, consisting of a total area of 44,000 m² and 2 stages, was built with the latest technology. Business situation worsens Exhibition expands to Central Asia ASSOCIATION: ITMF NEWS: Business EVENT: ITM Uzbekistan NEWS: Business The 17th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey (formerly Corona Survey) shows that on average the business situation in the global textile industry has deteriorated further in November 2022. At the same time, global business expectations in 6 months’ time remained in negative territory but did not get gloomier. The indicators for order intake, order backlog, and capacity utilization rate dropped, globally. According to the survey, the business situation in the 3 Asian regions and Europe remained especially poor. In North and Central America, the business situation has improved again markedly. Except for the textile machinery segment that still benefits on average from a long order backlog, all other segments found themselves in negative business situations, especially fiber producers and spinners. Global business expectations have remained negative but “stabilized” since July 2022. Expectations have improved significantly in South Asia and Europe. Business expectations in all segments remain negative territory with 4 out of 7 recording improvements. Order intake nose-dived in November, in line with weaker business situation and weaker demand, currently the biggest concern for the global textile value chain. Only companies in North and Central America registered on average a good order intake, while all other regions were faced with an unsatisfactory order situation. Except for South-East Asia and North and Central America order backlog fell. The only segments where order backlog increased were the down-stream segments garments and home textiles. 11 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
Gunnar Meyer Stéphane Thouvay MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT Effective January 1, 2023, Gunnar Meyer is the new Managing Director of A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG, Mönchengladbach / Germany, and succeeds Stefan Flöth. Meyer started his career with Monforts, between 1985 and 2010 he was responsible in various roles related to sales and commercial issues, including as General Sales Director. He returned to the company in 2019 after working for other well-known German textile machine manufacturers in the field of nonwovens. A. Monforts Textilmaschinen was founded in 1884 and today is a leading supplier of textile dyeing and finishing machines as well as coating devices. The company is a market leader for stenters, continuous dyeing ranges, sanforizing ranges and special executions for denim and for the coating of technical textiles and other special applications. With effect from January 1, 2023, Stéphane Thouvay has been appointed as the new Managing Director Sales of Südwolle Group GmbH, Nuremberg / Germany. In this function, he is now responsible for global sales activities within Südwolle Group. Effective April 1, 2023, he will also lead the company's global marketing organization. Südwolle Group is a leading manufacturer of worsted yarns for weaving, circular and flat knitted products in pure wool and wool blends. Thouvay has been a member of Südwolle Group management for the past 6 years and was responsible for the Product Management & Innovation department, of which he will continue to be in charge. He has extensive expertise in the textile industry, in which he has been active since 1997. Prior to his joining Südwolle Group in May 2009 and assuming responsibility for the weaving yarns division as director, he held several management positions at DyStar GmbH (today DyStar Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore). An exclusive long-term global strategic partnership has been announced by Carbios, a leader in the development of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastics and textiles, and Novozymes, a leader in biological solutions. This major agreement ensures the long-term production and supply of Carbios’ proprietary PET-degrading enzymes at an industrial scale for (according to the company) the world’s first biological PET-recycling plant in Longlaville/France, as well as Carbios’ future licensee customers. Carbios SA, Clermont-Ferrand/France, and Novozymes A/S, Bagsvaerd/Denmark, have had a partnership since 2019 to develop enzyme-based solutions and On January 6, 2023, Autoneum signed an agree- ment to acquire the automotive business of Borgers SE & Co. KGaA, Bocholt/Germany. The transaction is expected to close in April 2023 following anti-trust clearance. The enterprise value paid amounts to € 117 million. The transaction will initially be financed through a new credit facility. A capital increase in the amount of approx. CHF 100 million is planned for the long-term refinancing of the acquisition. Artemis Beteiligungen AG, Hegiswil/ Switzerland, and PCS Holding AG, Frauenfeld/ Switzerland, the 2 largest shareholders of Autoneum Management AG, Winterthur/ Switzerland, have agreed to participate in the capital increase in proportion to their current shareholdings. Partnership in bio-recycling of PET Takeover of automotive business of Borgers COMPANY: Carbios /Novozymes NEWS: Partnership COMPANY: Autoneum NEWS: Acquisition million € 117 The enterprise value paid Borgers specializes in textile acoustics protection, insulation and trim for automobiles. The product and customer range of Borgers is to an extent complementary to the product and customer portfolio of Autoneum. Borgers’ wheel arch liner and trunk liner product lines as well as their truck business optimally augment the product range of Autoneum. Especially in the field of textile wheel arch liners, Borgers is the market leader in Europe. In addition, Borgers’ product range is distinguished by sustainable and fully recyclable products. In fiscal year 2021, the Borgers Automotive Group generated revenue of €610 million with around 4,700 employees. Thanks to Autoneum’s global presence, the Borgers product portfolio adds to the sales potential for profitable growth in the medium term outside Europe. Autoneum is acquiring Borgers from insolvency and has agreed new pricing and delivery terms with its customers. These will ensure sustained profitability and the further development of product and process technologies in both the short and long term. Next page 12 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
From the raw material to thefinished textile – we set standards and support brands, retailers and manufacturers in achieving their environmental, social responsibility and quality goals. For us sustainability is not a trend but a way of life: testex.com Together for a better future. Contrary to the general trend in the area of floor coverings – away from carpeting – the demand for the high-quality products from Vetex is high. The Vetex management set itself the goal of doubling production output in the area of coating tufted carpets. The bottleneck here was an existing 10 compartment stenter, which was installed in the coating line on 2 floors and fitted exactly into the hall. Vetex GmbH & Co. KG Teppichboden- fabrik, Herzebrock - Clarholz / Germany, produces tufted and woven carpets as well as carpet tiles under the brand "Infloor Girloon”. Everything that the company sells is produced in-house. In addition to weaving and tufting, the fully integrated production chain also includes coating, continuous dyeing, printing and finishing. The new stenter from Brückner Textile TechnologiesGmbH&Co. KG, Leonberg/ New dryer doubles production capacity COMPANY: Brückner NEWS: Production Germany, with integrated Duo-Therm dryer works with a horizontal pin chain and direct gas heating. The exact and separately adjustable temperature for upper and lower air with a possible difference of up to 60°C is well suited for carpet coatings. Venturi mixing nozzles for mixing the extremely hot burner gases with the circulating process air as well as the alternating arrangement of the thermal zones every 3 m ensure optimum temperature distribution and thus high drying performance with low energy consumption. The existing heatrecovery system at Vetex was connected to the new Duo-Therm dryer. With only one compartment more than before, the Duo-Therm from Brückner allows a doubling of the production speed compared to the old 10 compartment stenter, thus eliminating the bottleneck. address the sustainability challenge of plastic pollution, both within PET- recycling and PLA-biodegradation. The 2 companies will extend their collaboration to develop, optimize and produce enzymes that will subsequently be supplied by Novozymes to all licensees of Carbios’ technology. The new agreement grants both parties exclusivity in the field of the partnership. The strategic partnership supports the large-scale industrial deployment of Carbios’ patented PET-recycling technology starting with its future industrial reference unit in Longlaville. Construction will begin later in 2023. Production at the plant is set to start in 2025 and the processing capacity will be 50,000 tons of waste per year. 13 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
State-of-the-art stenter to Argentina New business units in China, India and Turkey New subsidiary in Spain The Argentine textile industry is booming, which means a prosperous period for investment, increased production and therefore the creation of new jobs. With 3 production plants, Texameri SA (Texcom), Buenos Aires / Argentina, manufactures knitted fabrics for a highly demanded market, where sports, technical, fashion and workwear fabrics stand out. With more than 100 circular knitting machines and a wide range of possibilities for rotary printing, sublimation, lamination as well as special finishes such as antibacterial or hydrophilic, the company produces premium sports and leisure wear. This includes the official jersey of the Argentinian national soccer teams, the white and sky-blue striped Albiceleste jersey. Texcom has recently started up 2 new Power-Frame stenters from Brückner Textile Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Leonberg / Germany, for knitted fabric with 8 compartments and lubrica- tion-free vertical chain and direct gas heating. This is already the 5th line purchased by Texcom from Brückner. High drying capacity and the technically proven split-flow ventilation system, the highly homogeneous air volume and temperature distribution due to countered thermos-zones were decisive. The low specific energy consumption of the direct gas heating and the maintenance-friendly components, such as the completely lubrication-free vertical circulating chain and width adjustment spindles, help to save production costs, especially in economically difficult times. Particularly in the premium sector, the exactly reproducible finishing results due to full automation as well as recipe management of the line are appreciated. The integration of trusted service partners strengthens relationships with local customers and creates opportunities to collaborate on future product development. As part of their ongoing commitment to customer-centricity, Loepfe Brothers Ltd., Wetzikon/Switzerland, has announced its expansion into China, India and Turkey. The strategic integration of key service partners creates dedicated business units (BUs) that can provide a local service to customers, while drawing on the international support within the Vandewiele Group, Kortrijk/Belgium. The Loepfe BUs remain independent within the Vandewiele structure. In this way, clients will have the opportunity to impact the company’s future product portfolio more directly. Direct feedback will lead to clients being a key part of solution testing and development, and to products being more closely aligned to their needs. Since the beginning of 2023, Sign-Tronic S.A., Barcelona/Spain, has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Zünd and now operates under the name Zund Ibérica. Sign-Tronic was established in 1990 and has been an official sales and service partner of Zünd Systemtechnik AG, Altstätten/ Switzerland, since 1994. Zund Ibérica now serves numerous customers in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Jordi Lorente is the new CEO of Zund Ibérica. For the time being, he will be actively supported by the previous co-owner and Managing Director Flemming Jensen. Rosa Miralles, also a co-owner, will continue to work in an executive capacity at the company. COMPANY: Brückner NEWS: Production COMPANY: Loepfe NEWS: Business COMPANY: Zünd NEWS: New subsidiary Zund Ibérica currently employs 15 people. With more than 1,000 cutters installed, it is one of the most experienced distributors of both digital cutting systems and software and workflow solutions on the Iberian market. It has its own showroom, which allows customers and interested parties to experience the many possibilities of Zünd’s digital cutting technology in person. Its staff consists of proven experts in consulting, training, installation, and service. Zünd’s 11 subsidiaries and network of dealers spanning the globe underline its international orientation as systems manufacturer. 2 new Power-Frame stenters 14 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
€2.5 million investment capital raised 40th anniversary of Montex Maschinenfabrik Renewcell has produced the first textile fiber materials from 100% textile waste at its new plant in Sundsvall/ Sweden. The pure dissolving pulp is finally transformed by Renewcell’s customers into new garments for the circular clothing industry. The plant in Sundsvall recently reached its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on October 31, 2022. Andritz installed a complete textile fiber preparation system based on shredding and separation technology. Shredders of the ADuro product line form the technological centerpiece of the system and shred used textiles in only one step, enabling a throughput of up to 60,000 tons of textile waste per year. In the subsequent separation stages, impurities such as buttons and zippers are re- moved from the shredded textiles. Since 2016, Renewcell AB, Stockholm/ Sweden,andtheinternational technology group Andritz AG, Graz/Austria, have been working together on the development of Renewcell’s textile recycling process at its test plant in Kristine- hamn/Sweden, and now also on their first commercial textile recycling plant in Sundsvall. Renewcell was founded in 2012 and specializes in recycling textiles with the vision of making fashion circular. Its recycling technology transforms used cotton and other cellulose fibers into a new raw material called Circulose pulp. The pulp is used to produce high-quality biodegradable viscose or lyocell textile fibers for the fashion industry. New venture capital has been attracted by Hammer-IMS, the manufacturer of cutting-edge measuring technology. The €2.5 million injection accelerates the company’s international expansion, including into the USA, while at the same time strengthening anchoring and employment in Belgium. The additional capital is provided by Invest For Jobs (IFJ), Bonn/Germany, and by its very first investors, LRM, Hasselt/Belgium, and the Gemma Frisius Fund, Leuven/Belgium. Originally, founders Noël Deferm and Tom Redant succeeded in using radar technology to achieve precise quality control for industrial applications. With the M-Ray technology, Hammer-IMS NV, Hasselt/Belgium, had a safe and environmentally friendly alternative for the extensively used measuring systems that work with ionizing radiation (e.g. nuclear, radioactive). In the meantime, the company developed several measuring sensors and machines that it rolled out to manufacturers of industrial textiles and plastics, among others. The management team was recently strengthened with Nele Reynders, who, together with the founders, transformed the measuring technology into fully-fledged measuring machines in the early years of Hammer-IMS. In addition to a financial return, particular importance is given with long-term investment to employment that will root companies more firmly in Belgium. At the same time, by further enhancing its technological innovations, Hammer-IMS can achieve an increased impact in terms of sustainability. This capital increase will speed up the recruitment of new colleagues and develop targeted products in order to operate on a larger scale. In addition to creating a broader family of measuring solutions, the company will further expand its sales and technical support internationally, among others to the USA. Located in St. Stefan / Austria, Montex Maschinenfabrik – the key site for the manufacturing of Monforts finishing machines in Austria – was founded by Monforts in 1982. From the outset, Montex has specialized in all aspects of machine production, including high-precision sheet metal working, laser cutting and welding, and the pre-assembly of machines and components, along with a well-organized quality management and spare parts service. The company works very closely with the research and development team of A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG, Mönchengladbach / Germany, to take the latest new ideas through testing and prototyping, in readiness for future series production. Fully exploiting the many new possibi- lities in the continuous development of COMPANY: Hammer-IMS NEWS: Investment COMPANY: Monforts NEWS: Anniversary COMPANY: Andritz / Renewcell NEWS: Recycling New fibers from waste textiles design and manufacturing methods, the respective electrical switch cabinets for the machines are delivered just-in-time from Monforts in Germany. While there is standardization in seriesproduced Monforts machines, Montex is also increasingly called upon to construct bespoke machines with unique designs, according to the special needs of customers in technical textile or special textiles. The core Monforts machine range is built at the site, including the industry standard Montex stenters, along with relaxation dryers, Thermex dyeing ranges, Monfortex compressive shrinking ranges and MontexCoat coating units. As well as having long-tome employees, the company also places great emphasis on training apprentices at the same time, to pass on our know-how and ensure high standards. 15 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
Takeover of the stich bonding range from Naplafa 56% sales increase in 2022 BU Card Clothing expands its production site Effective July 1, 2022, Schmietex Engineering has taken over a large part of the needle and part assortment of the needle and sinker factory Naplafa GmbH, Chemnitz/Germany. Production at the Chemnitz site will be continued. Schmietex Engineering GmbH, Hohenstein-Ernstthal/Germany, thus gains additional know-how and over 70 years of experience in the professional production of knitting parts. At the end of 2021, plans by the previous Naplafa owner Hugo Kern und Liebers GmbH & Co. KG, Schramberg/Germany, to close the Chemnitz site and relocate only certain product ranges became known. Schmietex Managing Director Jörg Bredemeyer and the Schmiedl family of shareholders then entered into initial talks. Schmietex Engineering, as a main customer, had been buying various Naplafa products for many years in order to process them in its casting department and then use them in its own machine production or supply them worldwide to its customers in the stitch-bonding segment. Schmietex focuses on the production of individual stitch- bonding machines for the manufacture of a wide variety of composite materials, mainly for technical textiles. Machines of the types Malimo with weft insertion, Maliwatt, Malivlies, Kunit/Multinit and customized variants in working widths from 1,600-6,000 mm are developed and constructed. A comprehensive range of accessories and spare parts for all machine types are part of the service, as are on-site installation and repairs. Despite a very challenging economic environment, Rieter succeeded in significantly increasing sales and expects a positive EBIT margin for the 2022 financial year. Annual sales at Rieter Holding AG, Winterthur/Switzerland, increased by 56% to CHF 1.51 billion in 2022 compared with the previous year. The development of the EBIT margin was strongly influenced by significant cost increases. An EBIT margin of around 2% (2021: 4.9%) is expected. In addition to the geopolitical uncertainties, the 2022 financial year was characterized by 3 main challenges: Due to the rapid rise in inflation, the exceptionally high order backlog of around CHF 1.84 billion at the beginning of 2022 was processed at significantly higher costs. It was only possible to offset these higher costs in part by means of price increases and other remedial measures. In order to safeguard deliveries, it was necessary to compensate for serious material bottlenecks, particularly in electronic components, which resulted in considerable additional development ex- penditure. In the 2nd half (H2) of 2022, particularly in the 4th quarter (Q4), the measures introduced to eliminate material bottlenecks had a positive impact. Major expenses were also incurred in connection with the acquired businesses (Accotex, Temco andWinder). Rieter had an order backlog of around CHF 1.54 billion at the end of 2022, which thus extends well into 2023 and 2024. In 2022, Rieter recorded order cancellations of less than 10% of the order backlog. With a €12 million investment, the supplier for the manufacture of high-performance card clothings for textile yarn processing, Trützschler Card Clothing (TCC), is expanding its production, warehouse and office capacities. The move into the new building is planned for 2024. Trützschler Card Clothing GmbH, Neubulach/Germany, a business unit (BU) of Trützschler Group SE, Mönchengladbach/Germany, will also expand the range of services and the production intensity at the site in Neubulach, while optimizing the process flows. COMPANY: Schmietex Engineering NEWS: Acquisition COMPANY: Rieter NEWS: Business COMPANY: Trützschler NEWS: Investment is expected 2% EBIT margin of Next page 16 NEWS MELLIAND INTERNATIONAL 1 | 2023
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