News

10. January 2012

Versatile and efficient

The textile and clothing industry is continuing to pin all its hopes on technical textiles, especially in the highly developed world. According to the Industrieverband Veredlung, Garne, Gewebe, Technische Textilien, IVGT (Industrial Association for Finishing, Yarns, Fabrics and Technical Textiles), their share of total sales in the textile industry currently amounts to more than 50%, which represents an increase of more than 25% over the last ten years.

The growth potential of these functional textile materials is due to their wide range of different end-uses. In order to take the best advantage of the opportunities on offer, the entire manufacturing process must be as efficient as possible. KARL MAYER’s warp preparation machines win maximum points in terms of productivity and versatility. This complete provider of preparatory machines for the weaving and warp knitting sectors can supply a wide range of machinery for producing technical textiles, and these can be combined to create customised solutions. The Opt-O-Matic sectional warping machine and the MULTITENS yarn tensioning system are both worth a special mention here.

The count of technical yarns presents a particular challenge. Yarns having a count of above 1,100 dtex are usually heavy, require high processing forces, and tend to form large yarn balloons during take-off at high speeds. If the yarn ends fall down in an uncontrolled manner, this can also result in unwinding of the entire package. Stiff yarns run the risk of jumping out of the yarn guides and thick yarns do not adhere securely to the package because of their relatively small area in relation to their large circumference – and these are just some of the factors that have to be taken into account when processing technical yarns.