Belgium-based Picanol NV reports it recently completed production of the 20,000th OptiMax rapier weaving machine. The machine will be shipped to Bangladesh-based Sister Denim Composite Ltd.
“Thanks to [the OptiMax’s] modular and future-oriented design, it can be adapted to a wide range of conditions, which means that is provides weavers with a great deal of flexibility in reacting to changes in market requirements,” said Johan Verstraete, vice president, marketing, sales and service, Picanol. “With speeds of up to 700 picks per minute, this is the fastest industrial rapier weaving machine in the world and it has an installed base at more than 800 customers in over 50 countries.”
“We have every reason to be proud of the fact that we have produced our successful OptiMax model 20,000 times. Achieving this milestone demonstrates our ability to produce best-in-class, dedicated weaving machines for the world’s most reputable textile manufacturers.”
(left to right): Picanol executives Luc Tack, managing director; Johan Verstraete, vice president, marketing sales and service; and Geert Ostyn, vice president, weaving machines, with the 20,000th OptiMax weaving machine.
April/May/June 2015