#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

2025-02-27

SL Smart Weft-Straightener success at Harris Tweed Hebrides, UK

High quality fabric is essential for any finisher who wants to ensure consistent quality and resource efficiency. A particularly important quality criterion is straight weft and straight course fabric. The Scottish tweed manufacturer Harris Tweed Hebrides finishes 100% woolen, handwoven cloth and stands as a world class leader in British luxury cloth with an extensive, high quality product range. The company was looking for a weft-straightening system which, in contrast to the previously used pinwheel system, could not damage the wool.

SuccessStory at Harris Tweed Hebrides, UK © 2025 PLEVA

They finish 100% woollen, handwoven cloth with fabric weights from 260 to 353 g/m² and fabric widths from 750mm up to 1500mm. Each individual tweed is approximately 50m in length.

Precise weft correction without pin wheels for high-quality, straightened fabrics

The customer's aim and requirement is a precise correction of the weft without usage of pin wheels to produce high quality, straightened fabrics without distortion as well as automatic adaptation on a wide range of weaves and the variations that occur with handwoven fabrics, while maintaining easy, intuitive operation.

Pleva's SL smart weft-straightener: advanced technology for precise and efficient fabric straightening

Fitted to these needs the well-known German manufacturer PLEVA gives with the automatic weft-straightener SL smart including the unique high-tech traversing camera technology the optimum solution and offers the finisher several advantages.

The user-friendly, self-explanatory interface displays all important information at one glance. This enables to work with maximum efficiency and to react to the complex portfolio with the integrated recipe management for sophisticated straightening. The well-established advanced traversing camera with many measuring points across the fabric width ensures the most accurate straightening. In combination with the fast reaction time of the rollers, it allows best straightening results. Furtheron the machine design is fitted to even the harshest working conditions and optimized for easy cleaning and low maintenance.

PLEVA SL smart weft-straightener © 2025 PLEVA

Harris Tweed Hebrides praises SL smart weft-straightener for precision and efficiency

David Stewart, Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd is very satisfied and states: „The SL smart weft-straightener performs very well with our product. The traversing camera is exceptionally accurate and automatically adapts to a wide range of weaves. The system of skew and bow rollers allow precise alteration of the weft without the possibility of damage to the fabric. It requires very little input from the operator and minimal maintenance, resulting in increased productive times. The addition of the touch screen control panel allows the operator to view the current weft position in real-time, ensuring that the fabric is within the accepted parameters. Excellent support from PLEVA team.”

Besides those advantages, also a positive ecological impact is achieved: Due to the first-time-right-principle, only one round through the production line with the fabric is needed to produce directly the aimed result. This saves energy and valuable resources. In addition, due to the higher quality of the goods, there are no more costly readjustments or wasted fabrics and complaints can be reduced drastically. This is not only good for textile finishing companies and customers, but also for the environment.

Learn more about sustainability with PLEVA Sensors and Controls on www.pleva.org

Smart sensors, smart savings - Reducing energy and cost in textile finishing

As energy prices, sustainability requirements and quality expectations continue to rise, manufacturers of technical textiles face increasing pressure to optimize efficiency while ensuring process reliability. At the same time, skilled labor shortages require production systems that are intuitive, automated and easy to manage. PLEVA addresses these challenges with robust, maintenance-friendly sensor technologies combined with intelligent process control.

Smart automation to fix gaps of skilled staff

Advanced technology for high quality and efficiency at textile finishing - ITMA Asia 2025, Singapore As customer expectations rise and skilled labor becomes increasingly scarce, smart sensor technology and automated control systems have become essential in modern textile finishing. PLEVA meets these challenges with its renowned, robust and reliable sensors, specifically designed for the demanding conditions of textile production.

Generation change at Pleva: Kathrin and Stephan Pleva join the Management Team

PLEVA GmbH, a leading manufacturer of sensors, measurement and control technology for various industries, announces that Kathrin Pleva and Stephan Pleva have been appointed as Managing Directors of the family-owned company. Together with their father, Dr. Ralf Pleva, they will shape the future of the company.

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.

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.

EDANA launches landmark continence report to mark the start of the World Continence Week

Today marks the official commencement of the World Continence Week. To honour this global awareness initiative, EDANA has published a comprehensive report titled "The Central Role of Absorbent Hygiene Products in the Management of Adult Urinary Incontinence: Benefits, Costs and Environmental Impact." The World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual global initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about incontinence and bladder or bowel health issues. Traditionally held in June, this awareness week aims to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide but is frequently kept secret due to widespread social stigma, embarrassment, and taboo.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

ITM 2026 makes happy participants with its international and qualified visitor profile

ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, one of the most prestigious meeting points of the textile machinery sector, attracted attention in its first three days, particularly with its diverse international visitor numbers. Industry professionals from all over the world had the opportunity to closely examine the latest technology machines and solutions displayed in operation. Thousands of visitors from approximately 100 countries, primarily Egypt, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, met at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center for new investment and cooperation opportunities.