Techtextil Frankfurt 2005
By Rachael Dunn,Managing EditorHighlights From TechtextilTechtextil — the International Trade
Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens — offers networking and educational opportunities to
exhibitors and attendees.Frankfurt-based Messe Frankfurt GmbH has successfully grown the Techtextil
franchise into an exhibition that now is held in four different countries. Frankfurt — the original
home of the show, which debuted almost 20 years ago — now hosts the largest of the biennial
Techtextil exhibitions. The Frankfurt show has gained a reputation as the must-attend technical
tex-tiles event, and the 2005 edition did not disappoint exhibitors or visitors. “The booth was
pleasantly busy during the show,” said Andreas Weber, head of sales/marketing of Switzerland-based
Heberlein Fiber Technology Inc., “although I am not surprised, because we expected a busy show.”
Weber was at Techtextil highlighting Heberlein’s range of interlacers, splicers and jets for man
made yarns, which the company is continuously developing for technical textiles applications. “Our
expectations for the fair were more than exceeded,” said Stephan Kehry, sales manager of
Switzerland-based Benninger Co. Ltd.
Techtextil Frankfurt is held at the Messe Frankfurt Congress Center.Two Shows, One VenueIn
response to exhibitor and visitor demand, the Avantex International Forum for Innovative Apparel
Textiles was held concurrently with Techtextil for the first time. More than 22,000 visitors came
from 70 countries to view products of and network with the 1,117 exhibiting companies. Of the total
number of exhibitors, 1,075 companies from 47 countries exhibited under the Techtextil banner —
representing an increase of 22 percent over the 2003 edition — while the remaining 42 companies
from 11 countries exhibited at Avantex. Combined, the two shows attracted an 11-percent increase in
participation over the previous events. “These were the best-ever Techtextil and Avantex events,”
said Michael Jänecke, project manager, Techtextil and Avantex Worldwide. “Both were characterized
by a very good underlying atmosphere and a high degree of satisfaction on the exhibitor and visitor
sides.” In addition to exhibitor stands, approximately 120 lectures covering the use of technical
textiles, nonwovens and innovative clothing technologies were offered to visitors during a
three-day Techtextil and Avantex symposium series. Nine Techtextil and Avantex Innovation prizes
were awarded for outstanding achievements in research, materials and product development. Students
were invited to participate in the 8th Textile Structures for New Building competition, which
focuses on new ideas and concepts for architecture of the future. Work presented by all prize
winners was exhibited during the fair in three special areas to publicize new developments and
pro-mote unconventional thinking in the technical textiles sector.
Ullrich Münstermann, Ph.D., (left) director, technology and product development, and Peter
Ziehl, sales manager, Fleissner GmbH, discuss Fleissner’s new lean configuration spunlacing lines.
Dieter Schulze, director of Genkinger-Hubtex GmbHBroad ScopeUnlike at a typical machinery
show, exhibitors at Techtextil comprise both machinery and textile manufacturers. This mix offers a
broad range of products to visitors, but it also allows exhibitors to interact with one another and
network. “As a machinery producer, Dornier is here because all of our customers have booths at the
show,” said Egon Wirth, marketing, communication manager of Germany-based Lindauer Dornier GmbH.“If
you look around at the visitors, they are from all over the world. Techtextil in Frankfurt is the
show for technical markets.” Fritz Legler, head of service and spare parts sales, Sultex Ltd.,
Switzerland, shared Wirth’s positive view. “The advantage of Techtextil is that everyone is here,”
Legler said. “It’s a very professional show, and the number of contacts and exchange of
infor-mation are very good.” Companies from throughout the supply chain are found in the exhibit
halls at Techtextil. Starting with fiber and yarn producers, companies such as INVISTA™ Inc.,
Performance Fibers Inc., Shakespeare Monofilament UK, W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH and Lenzing
Fibers were present at the Frankfurt show. “Our booth was very busy during the show,” said Won-Ki
Baek, president, technical yarn performance unit and senior executive vice president of Korea-based
Hyosung Corp. “We had many exhibitors and visitors asking for new products.” Hyosung was able to
offer its new high-tenacity polyvinyl alcohol yarn. This yarn has half the tenacity of Kevlar®
yarns, but more than twice the tenacity of a regular nylon or polyester yarn, according to the
company.“We like to work with our customers to develop new fibers for new applications,” Baek said.
Machinery producers included Dilo System Group; Monti Antonio S.p.A.; Laroche S.A.; Jakob Müller
AG, Frick; Saurer GmbH & Co. KG; Fehrer® AG; SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG; Brückner
Trockentechnik GmbH & Co. KG; Mayer & Cie.; Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH; and
Eduard Küsters Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG. Auxiliary and other equipment companies were
present as well, including companies such as Wacker-Chemie GmbH, Bayer Materi-alScience AG, Mahlo
GmbH & Co. KG, Elbit Vision Systems Ltd., Zwick GmbH & Co. KG, Clariant Interna-tional
Ltd., Hacoba Spultechnik GmbH, Leister Process Technologies, Sonobond Ultrasonics and
Genkinger-Hubtex GmbH. Fabric manufacturers also selected Techtextil as a venue to showcase their
product ranges. Inman Mills, Milliken Europe NV, Precision Fabrics Group Inc. and Saint-Gobain
Technical Fabrics are just a few of the companies that exhibited in this sector.
Daniel Gisler, product manager, plastic welding with Leister Process TechnologiesNew
Products, Big NewsWhile many companies chose to exhibit at the show because it is known as a great
place to network, others chose Frankfurt as the venue to announce company news and introduce new
products. Ciba Specialty Chemicals Inc., Switzerland, announced it had entered into a cooperation
agreement with Schoeller Technologies AG, also based in Switzerland, for Schoeller’s 3XDRY®
multifunctional finishes. Under terms of the agreement, Ciba is now responsible for 3XDRY’s
techni-cal support, sales, quality control and production licensing worldwide. Branding, marketing,
patents and branding licensing will continue to be handled by Schoeller.“3XDRY finish-ing
technology, which incorporates Ciba Specialty Chemicals products, is an ideal complement to our
range of textile effects,”said Peter Otto, head of global marketing, Textile Effects, Ciba. “Ciba
can ensure availability of the required resources for continued customer-oriented and
quality-consistent servicing of the expanding markets.” Ciba also introduced DICRYLAN® PGS, a new
polymer for ultrafine coatings, and announced effects chemistries are in development for use with
plasma technology. France-based NSC Nonwoven used the show as a venue to celebrate the delivery of
its 1,000th Asselin crosslapper. The machine is part of a needlepunching line installed at FILC
d.d. Menges, Slovakia, and the line is the largest order ever from a single customer. The line also
features NSC’s new Excelle® card. According to Bérangère Amestoy, NSC Group external communications
manager, Excelle is a brand-new concept in carding that was under development at NSC for several
years. The card was developed to be more efficient, consistent and user-friendly than conventional
cards. Germany-based BASF AG showcased several new products at Techtextil. The company has added
flame-retardant formulations to its Lurapret® range of textile coatings, which were developed in
cooperation with Germany-based Schill + Seilacher AG. “In Schill + Seilacher we have gained a
partner whose product range and know-how optimally complement our own,” said Werner Bertleff,
Ph.D., manager, Innovation Group Textiles, BASF. “Flame retardancy is a really hot topic,
especially in relation to textiles used in public places — for example, furnishing fabrics in
discotheques,” Bertleff said.“The regulations are constantly getting tougher — not least because of
accidents.” BASF also highlighted a new coating for polyolefin functionalization and ComDRYve™, a
textile foam substitute for car seats developed in cooperation with Germany-based Hänsel
Verbundtechnik GmbH. Rieter Textile Systems, Switzerland, displayed technologies from its Perfojet,
Filament Yarn Technologies (FYT) and Automatik divisions. Rieter has combined its JETlace 3000
spunlace and PERFObond 3000 spunbond concepts to produce a nonwoven product called SPUNjet. In the
production line, the fabric is spunbonded, then water jets from the JETlace machine are used to
create a product with a softer hand. The company also displayed the UT 50, a new concept machine
from the FYT Division. It is a twister with fully independent positions that can ply yarns with
counts ranging from 235 decitex (dtex) to 1,800 dtex.Matex S.r.l., Italy, introduced the Roto Labo
pilot coating and laminating machine, which offers interchangeable components for individual
configuration. The Roto Labo was designed to facilitate taking pilot projects into full production,
according to Andrea Troncon, area sales manager. McAdenville, N.C. The multi 600 and 900 versions
are equipped with 600-millimeter (mm) and 900-mm diameter coating rolls, respectively. HSGM GmbH,
Germany, had several new products on display for cut ting man-made textiles. In addition to its
traditional hand-held heat cutters, the company also offers table units with automatic cutting
functions. The HSG-G2S-50/80/100-E rope- and Pharr belt-cutting machine pulls material from a roll
or out of a barrel, measures the material to a predetermined length, uses an electric heated blade
to cut the material and features a piece counter that stops the machine when the desired number of
pieces has been cut. As with other HSGM para-aramid cutters, the heated blade seals the cut edge,
which prevents the material from fraying. “We are sensitive to the customer and will work
extensively to develop what the customer needs,”said David Brown, sales and marketing director,
High Performance Yarn, Pharr Yarns Inc. McAdenville, N.C.-based Pharr recently worked with James E.
Hendrix, Ph.D., president of Pacolet, S.C. based Jim Hendrix & Associates, to develop a
spinning a staple-fiber carbon yarn. “The process is patent-pending, and, Pharr is very excited
about the possibilities for this yarn because it adds a market for the company, as well as a
cutting product,“ Hendrix said. This spun yarn is comprised of 95-percent carbon. Pharr also offers
a pre-oxidized yarn that is 65-percent carbon. Another newly developed product at Pharr Yarns is a
very fine para-aramid yarn, which the company currently supplies to Warwick Mills, New Ipswich,
N.H., for Warwick’s Turtle-Skin® product. According to Brown, gloves and gaiters made from
Turtle-Skin fabric can protect against knife attacks, hypodermic needles and snake bites.
Livio Piccinini (left) and Andrea Jonoch, area sales manager, represented SMIT S.p.A. at
Techtextil
Philippe Pierret (left), CEO and president, Ateliers Pierret, demonstrates one of the
company’s cutting machines.First-Time Exhibitors Attracted To TechtextilSensing opportunities in
technical markets, some companies are targeting technical and industrial markets for the first
time, or are increasing their marketing efforts to this sector. Most of these companies have been
involved in the textile industry for many years, but have not placed an emphasis on technical
textiles in the past. But just as traditional textile manufacturers are looking to technical
markets for a competitive edge, so too are traditional textile machinery manufacturers. “For four
years now, Picanol has been moving more towards technical fabric production,” said Filips Lombaert,
product manager, after-market sales and support at Belgium-based Picanol NV.“We now have a
dedicated group within the company for technical textiles.” Marc Wolpers, sales manager with
Germany-based Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG’s Nonwovens Division, was at the show to promote the
fact that all of Trützschler’s nonwoven carding equipment will now be made at the company’s US
headquarters in Charlotte. “We selected the United States because of our existing division, and
because with a growing US market in nonwovens, it was a good fit,”Wolpers said. Approximately 95
percent of Trützschler’s current business is in the spinning sector, but the company sees growth
opportunities in nonwovens. “We will build nonwovens as a separate business from spinning with its
own sales and marketing personnel,” said Wolpers. “It’s necessary that we offer tailor-made
machinery for the individual customer.” Italy-based RadiciGroup’s RadiciFibres was exhibiting for
the first time at Techtextil, according to Andrea Borgis, marketing and communication manager,
RadiciFibres, PET (polyester) Yarns. The company is focusing on technical markets with its
RadiciFibres Industrial division. A new product from this division is Raditeck® Dyna, a new
high-tenacity polyamid 6,6 air-jet yarn. Backpacks, protective workwear, outdoor clothing and
luggage are some of the end-uses for this product, according to the company. In addition to other
yarns from its industrial division that are suitable for tire cord and air-bag applications, Radici
highlighted antistatic Dylar® spunbonded nonwovens manufactured by Tessiture Pietro Radici, a
RadiciGroup Textiles division company. “Monforts has been in the technical textiles market for many
years, but we are now promoting even more dyeing and finishing applications in this sector,” said
Klaus A. Heinrichs, vice president of marketing at Germany-based A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH
& Co. KG.“Coating is popular and provides good margins for European textile companies.”
Monforts’ booth at the show featured a video screen showing product information. “Lots of producers
are looking to specialize,”said Christian Moser, product manager of multifilament spinning at
Austria-based SML Maschinen GmbH.“Business has been good for SML, and we think our compact spinning
lines offer producers what they need to offer new products.”Germany-based Groz-Beckert KG has taken
its expertise in precision needle production and applied it to jet strips for spunlacing and
hydroentan-glement of nonwovens. “There are other companies in this field,” said Edelgard Keinath,
management, advertising,“but we think it’s a good market and a good fit with Groz-Beckert’s
existing products.” The HyTec® precision jet strip is available in customer-specified lengths with
holes 0.10 mm to 0.18 mm in diameter. According to the company, a new production method guarantees
a burr-free strip with uniform jet geometries. Groz-Beckert also engineered a special shipping tube
for the jet strips to ensure they arrive at the customer’s plant undamaged.
(left to right) Rachid Keldany, sales division manager; and Fritz Legler, head of service,
spare parts division, Sultex Ltd.
Alwin Günster, application technology, Zwick GmbH & Co, KGGrowing The Techtextil
Brand“With dramatic increases in both visitors and exhibitors, Techtextil continues to demonstrate
its position as the world’s leading trade show for technical textiles and nonwovens,” said Daniel
McKinnon, director, textile fairs, Messe Frankfurt.“The Techtextil brand name continues to be the
destination for international business, wide-ranging educational pro-grams and remarkable
networking opportunities. “We hope to build on the success of the Frankfurt show in Atlanta in
2006,”he added. Techtextil North America will be held Tuesday, March 28, through Thursday, March
30, 2006, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
November/December 2005