#ITMA-Asia + CITME-2014

2014-04-16

Picanol shows 4 airjets and 3 rapiers at ITMA-ASIA + CITME 2014

The OptiMax 4 – P 540 will be exhibited at ITMA ASIA + CITME weaving a coating fabric (c) 2014 Picanol

At the occasion of the ITMA-Asia + CITME fair (16-20 June, Shanghai) Picanol will present a wide variety of weaving machines, both airjet and rapier. Besides the OMNIplus Summum, also the OMNIplus-X will be on display. This machine is engineered and produced in Picanol’s Suzhou plant in China, but using the proven OMNIplus 800 technology.

The OMNIplus-X responds to the requirements of the Asian mid-end segment. A novelty on this machine is that it is now also available in 280 and 340 cm widths in addition to the existing weaving widths of 190 cm and 220 cm. Here special attention was given to improved quality output, user friendliness and lower energy costs.

As for the rapier machines, the highlight is an OptiMax weaving a coating fabric on a 540 cm machine equipped with batching motion. On another OptiMax a fancy denim fabric will be woven.

For the first time the new GTMax-i rapier machine will be shown. This new weaving machine is a further development of the existing GT-Max. The main highlights of the GTMax-i are the reinforced gripper system and heavier machine drive, which allows higher production speeds. Also the dobby and undermotion have been completely redesigned.

In total 7 Picanol machines will be on display. Five on its own booth (Hall E1, booth A02). One Picanol OMNIplus Summum with jacquard will be on display at the Bonas booth and another one on the Staubli booth.

As a technological market leader, Picanol constantly invests in R&D to assure the highest performance of its weaving machines, both for new machines and for those already installed in the field. For each new product development launched on new machines, the Picanol aftermarket team investigates how the new feature can bring a solution or benefit to get the most out of the weaving machine. Also the after market upgrade possibilities will be presented on the Picanol booth.

Innovation is a constant at Picanol. An R&D team of over 150 researchers are working day-in-day-out on performance, efficiency, user friendliness and versatility of the Picanol weaving machines, so that the weaving industry can get the most out of its energy, time, material, market and talent. This makes the Picanol machines belong to the most innovative in the world.

Pic: OptiMax 4-R 190 will be shown weaving a fancy denim fabric

As one of the world’s leading weaving machine manufacturers, Picanol has always had a very close relationship with the Chinese textile industry. This relationship is not a matter of chance or coincidental developments: on the contrary, it is the result of long-term, strategic planning by the Picanol management.

In this firm belief, Picanol sent its first pioneers to explore the possibilities in the Far East, already in the early 1950s. Picanol took part in one of the first international exhibitions held in Beijing. This was the period when Picanol sales managers, still based in Ieper, criss-crossed the Orient to promote its weaving machines at exhibitions and technical seminars.

The growing installed base of Picanol machines in China, as well as the increasing demand for a higher level of service & support resulted in the establishment of the Picanol Service Centre, which was set up in Shanghai in 1987. A network of local service engineers was also established to serve the other South-Asian countries.

The next step in the history of Picanol in China was the set-up of PST, Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works, thus starting its career as a Chinese textile machinery manufacturer. This set-up took place in 1994 and we celebrate this year the 20 years existence of Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works.

PST was Picanol’s first major production line outside Belgium and the technology and organization were based entirely on the assembly concept employed at the company’s headquarters in Ieper. Today PST houses a complete production unit with 3 assembly lines for 4 product types (GT-Max, GTMax-i and GTXplus with rapier technology and the OMNIplus-X with airjet insertion technology), a mechatronics division, a sales, service and spare parts organization. The majority of the Chinese management, engineers and technicians have been trained in Belgium.

Machines produced in PST aim at the top layer of the mid segment and are besides in China, also quite successful in the new emerging textile regions outside China.

Headquarters in Belgium One of the big assets of this cross border entrepreneurship is the mixture of drawing upon the know-how & quality standards from the Picanol Group, combined with good understanding of its local customers.

With more than 150 engineers and strong R&D teams headquartered in Belgium, Picanol invests heavily in R&D activities every year. Picanol's R&D aims not just at development and production of the most advanced weaving machines, but also achieving the most profitable weaving process in the world.Picanol offers nine types of weaving machines: the OptiMax, GT-Max, GTMax-i and GTXplus with rapier technology, the OMNIplus Summum, OMNIplus 800, TERRYplus 800, OMNIplus 800 TC and the OMNIplus-X with airjet insertion technology. Together, these machines cover the full spectrum of textiles including apparel, household and technical fabrics. The high degree of digitization of all these machines, together with their Sumo main drive, ensures a lower weaving cost, higher quality of the fabrics produced, greater flexibility and exceptional ease of operation in comparison with other weaving machines.

Picanol weaving machines on display at ITMA Asia + CITME 2014:

OptiMax 4-R 190 weaving a fancy denim fabric
OptiMax 4 – P 540 weaving a coating fabric
OMNIplus Summum 4-P 190 weaving a bottomweight fabric
GTMax-i 4-R 190 weaving a seersucker fabric
OMNIplus-X 2-P 280 weaving a sheeting fabric

Staubli booth:

OMNIplus Summum-4-J-190 weaving an automotive fabric

Bonas booth:

OMNIplus Summum-4-J-190 weaving a furnishing fabric

Pic: OMNIplus Summum 4-P 190

Picanol to exhibit latest weaving technology at ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025

At ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025, Picanol (Hall 2 – Booth C204) will unveil the next-generation OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine, setting a new benchmark in airjet weaving technology. This latest evolution of Picanol’s trusted platform demonstrates how the company continues to deliver innovative, performance-driven solutions that meet the evolving challenges of modern weaving mills.

Picanol’s will unveil the Supermax, its new rapier weaving machine, at ITMA Asia + CITME 2024

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 represents an excellent opportunity for Picanol to once again demonstrate its technological leadership in both airjet and rapier weaving machines. Visitors to the event will experience Picanol’s world premiere of its brand-new Supermax rapier weaving machine. In total, Picanol will have four different high-tech weaving machines as well as its PicConnect digital platform on display.

Picanol opens its new training and service center in Tashkent (Uzbekistan)

Last week, Picanol inaugurated a new training and service center in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), in collaboration with its Uzbek agent, Baror Group. This state-of-the-art facility is strategically located to serve Picanol’s Central Asian customers more effectively. The opening ceremony was organized during CAITME 2024, which is the largest textile machinery exhibition in Central Asia, and it provided the ideal platform to showcase the new center to many industry professionals and customers from Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, among other countries.

PICANOL to showcase the all-new ULTIMAX rapier weaving machine for the first time in Türkiye at ITM 2024

The ITM 2024 exhibition takes place at the TÜYAP Fair Convention & Congress Center in Istanbul from June 4 - 8, 2024. At this important event, the Ultimax will be presented for the very first time in Türkiye at the Picanol booth (Hall 8, Booth 802). Furthermore, there will also be an OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine on display and the novelties of the digital platform PicConnect will be highlighted.

Technical textiles for more and new business

KARL MAYER's composite machines and warp knitting machines with weft insertion produce technical textiles offering an impressive variety of properties and textures. The range of tasks these textiles can perform is as broad as the spectrum of their possible fields of application. Both newcomers with the right textile solution and already established players can trust their business will flourish, as demonstrated by the examples from KARL MAYER's Technical Textiles division at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. The exhibition at stand A 301 in Hall 5 of the Singapore EXPO focuses on two areas: filtration and construction.

KARL MAYER puts textiles centre stage

For KARL MAYER, textiles are much more than just materials – they express function, emotion and progress. And they are at the heart of its customers' activities. KARL MAYER is now focusing more than ever on its customers' needs and plans and therefore on the textiles made on its machines: WARP KNITS. At the upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME, the company will demonstrate how textile solutions are providing new impetus in the categories of Fashion & Clothing and Technical Textiles.

Rieter reports stable order backlog and strategic progress – outlook for 2025 adjusted

In its Investor Update 2025, Rieter announced an order intake of CHF 203.9 million in the third quarter and CHF 559.3 million after nine months, reflecting a continued cautious investment climate in the textile machinery sector. Sales totaled CHF 121.5 million in the third quarter and CHF 457.7 million for the first nine months of the year, while the order backlog stood at around CHF 590 million as of September 30, 2025.