The leading trade fair Texprocess will provide a showcase of current sustainable processing technologies when it opens its doors from 4-7 May 2015. Under the label Blue Competence of VDMA (Association of German Mechanical and Plant Engineering), some exhibitors will present special resource-saving product families.

According to a recent study of VDMA, thanks to an enormous technological progress, machines produced by German manufacturers allow to save 28% of energy and 33% of water in a comparison between the years 2014 and 2004 within the spinning, knitting and finishing processes.

Roland Berger Strategy Consulting, a worldwide acting business consultancy company has awarded top marks to the German textile technology.

Textile production

Unused potentials exist in the field of energy cost-saving, according to SESEC (Sustainable Energy Saving for the European Clothing Industry). The company’s final report says that the lack of information and focusing on possible energy-saving in the clothing production processes is evident.

Matters can be rectified by the information campaign Energy Made-to-Measure of the umbrella organization Euratex in Brussels. Up to 2016 about 300 clothing manufacturing companies, in particular small and medium sized ones shall profit from this campaign.

Manufacturing systems engineering

Fifteen years ago, the suppliers of sewing machines were surpassing each other regarding the maximum number of stitches per minute. The limits of human dexterity had long ago been exceeded and the costs of the necessary automation of the joining process increased tremendously up to an unrealistic level in view of the quick product changes and decreasing number of items.

Apart from that textiles are slack and flexible products and can hardly be processed by robots as can be done when processing metal sheets. The keyword flexible production was borne soon: short set-up time, reproducible process parameters and the introduction of intuitively operable design programmes were now in the focus of development and marketing. Since all these requirements have now been met, the view is focused on the use of resources.  

New electric motors for sewing technology

Sewing is a central manufacturing step within the clothing manufacturing process. In the big production lines often hundreds of sewing machines are installed, which are driven by high-performance servomotors.

By using noble earths magnetic rotors and latest processor technology, the design engineering team of Efka Frankl & Kirchner, Schwetzingen (Germany) succeeded in achieving an energy saving totalling 60% by means of quick sewing machines.

According to Michael Faulhaber, Chief Technical and Marketing Officer of Frankl & Kirchner, additional benefits can be gained from complete packages allowing easy replacement of driving components of existing machinery and from the insensitiveness of the new CompactServo 600 driving units to current fluctuations, which is a frequent problem in many regions where clothing production companies exist.

Steam engines for fashion

For technical reasons fusing presses, ironing machines and appliances are provided with two steam circuits, a heating circuit and a steam spraying system. The experts of Veit (Germany) have investigated the so far open-loop heating circuit and came to the result that a remarkable energy-saving potential exists.

Apart from a better isolation of the heat conducting components, which leads to an improved working environment in the ironing section (3° C lower room temperature), up to 40% of heating steam can be saved. Veit has developed for its eMotion system a retrofit programme for existing machinery.

www.texprocess.messefrankfurt.com