#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

2021-02-18

Revolutionary machine returns to Monforts after more than a century

A 36-roller raising machine manufactured in the year 1918 has recently been delivered to its final retirement home – as a historic showpiece at the Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The machine remained in operation at a plant in Poland up until early 2000 and has now been handed back in full working condition to its manufacturer.

Monforts veterans Walter Dresen and Fred Vohdahl – both of whom each worked for the company for more than 50 years and are themselves now retired – ensured the smooth landing of the machine as it was unloaded from its delivery truck.

The raising machine was introduced by Monforts at the end of the 19th century and represented a gamechanger at that time, due to the use of low friction ball bearings for its raising rollers. This greatly reduced the wear and maintenance of the raising rollers and was a first for the market.

Spirit of innovation

“We are proud to have such an old-timer now on display at our ATC,” says Monforts Marketing Manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “It demonstrates the spirit of innovation that has been a part of Monforts since the company was founded in 1884 and is now in our genes.

“Our two former collleagues, Walter Dresen, our Head of Service for many years, and Fred Vohsdahl, who was the Manager of the ATC until his recent retirement, took charge of the rebuild and restoration work. They have been able to find and replace the leather transmission belts which were the crucial drive element between what would originally have been a steam engine and the raising machine in the textile mill.

“Visitors will be interested to see this example of Monforts Industry 1.0 engineering and can compare it to the latest Industry 4.0 features of our latest finishing lines at the ATC.”

Despite any current travel restrictions, the Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) is fully operational for industrial-scale trials which go beyond lab or pilot plant testing, to be run by highly experienced staff on behalf of customers.

Illustration of the raising machine from the 1920s (c) 2021 Monforts

Fred Vohsdahl (left) and Walter Dresen with the103-year-old Monforts machine (c) 2021 Monforts

Since its opening in 2013, over €3 million has been invested in equipment at the ATC, which over an area of 1,200 square metres, houses two full finishing lines, engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes based around the industry-leading Montex stenter, in addition to a Thermex range for continuous fabric dyeing and the newly developed CYD process for yarn dyeing.

An 1927 advertisement for Monforts with the raising machine depicted bottom left (c) 2021 Monforts

Monforts sees growing potential for technical textiles in Türkiye

For many years now, Türkiye has been one of the most important markets for textile finishing, coating and continuous dyeing equipment, making ITM 2026 from June 9-13 a key event for Germany’s Monforts. At the Istanbul exhibition at stand 1117D in Hall 11, the company will put the emphasis on its machines which continue to lead the field in conventional dyeing and finishing, and also highlight the strong opportunities for Turkish textile manufacturers in the growing field of technical textiles.

SETEX turns dyeing and finishing data into daily production control

At ITM 2026, SETEX will show how textile mills can use machine, recipe, quality and energy data for more reliable daily production decisions — not as another reporting layer, but as part of the running dyeing and finishing process. With OrgaTEX X3 MES, E390x/C390x controllers, CamCOUNT and FabricInspector Portable, SETEX connects planning, machine execution and fabric-related quality insight within existing mill structures.

Tradition and Innovation – Phoenox Textiles Ltd. relies on state-of-the-art carpet back-coating line from Brückner

For more than 70 years, Phoenox Textiles Ltd. has been synonymous with quality, reliability, and inno-vation in the textile industry. Founded in 1954 in Huddersfield (Yorkshire, UK), a region with a long tradition in textiles, this family-owned business has continued to evolve without losing sight of its roots. Today, in its fourth generation under the leadership of the Mosley family, Phoenox successfully combines decades of experience with a clear, forward-looking corporate strategy.

Smart Quality Control for Technical Textiles

In the end, what matters is the result: a filter that performs reliably, a membrane that remains stable in storm conditions, a composite material with precisely defined properties. But the path to achieving this is demanding. In the production of technical textiles, numerous parameters interact – and even the smallest deviations can have major consequences.

The address for environmentally friendly dyeing and finishing systems: ITM 2026

Dyeing and finishing technologies, one of the most critical and value-added areas of the textile sector, have gained strong growth momentum on a global scale. Technologies that are pioneers of this transformation focused on sustainability, quality and efficiency will meet with sector professionals at the ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition. Dyeing and Finishing Hall (11–12) will host the latest technologies that increase efficiency, optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact in textile finishing processes.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.