#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

2025-07-09

Driving innovation in sustainable textile finishing and beyond

Ahead of this year’s ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition in Singapore from October 28-31, industry leading companies Archroma, BW Converting and Monforts will take part in a webtalk with German association VDMA on September 18th.

(left to right): Monforts Technologist Saskia Kuhlen, Rick Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for Textiles at BW Converting and Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Segment Manager for Technical Textiles at Archroma Textile Effects. © 2025 Monforts

The three companies will share insights from recent trials conducted at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Germany, where a Baldwin TexCoat™ G4 spray unit has been integrated into a Montex stenter to apply Archroma’s latest waterborne chemicals. The collaborative effort aims to maximise resource efficiency and throughput in textile finishing. In addition, the partners will unveil details of a new, cutting-edge line concept set to debut at ITMA Asia in Singapore.

Installed in 2024 at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Mönchengladbach, the full-width Baldwin TexCoat G4 unit has enabled extensive real-world testing of advanced finishing formulations. The system’s integration into the Montex stenter has provided a valuable platform for evaluating performance, precision, and sustainability across a wide range of application scenarios.

“This work now enables us to guide manufacturers through the transition from standard impregnation processes to spray application systems, which have the potential to reduce water and energy consumption as less water is needed to transport the chemicals to the textile surface,” explains Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Segment Manager for Technical Textiles at Archroma Textile Effects. “Our latest addition to this range of options is a patent-pending, highly wash durable hydrophilic softener which enhances the longevity of the treated fabrics and will be commercially available soon.”

Commercial success

BW Converting is already seeing commercial success with the Baldwin TexCoat G4 system in the field. In Pakistan, for example, its integration into Montex stenters using Archroma chemistry has proven to be a highly effective line concept for bed sheet production.

“We have helped our customers double their stenter output, while also significantly enhancing the hand feel of the finished fabrics,” says Rick Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for Textiles at BW Converting.

The Baldwin TexCoat™ G4 spray unit integrated into a Montex stenter at the Monforts ATC in Germany. © 2025 Monforts

Independent testing by Fashion for Good, a global platform for sustainable textile innovation, compared TexCoat G4 spray application with traditional pad-based finishing, using a Monforts stenter and Archroma formulations. The results confirmed that combining advanced equipment design, process expertise, and tailored chemistry can significantly reduce energy and water consumption while improving capacity utilisation for textile mills.

Monforts has long focused on developing optimised processes paired with energy-efficient machine layouts. Building on the success of their recent collaboration, the three partners are now working on a similar resource-saving concept, combining Monforts’ Thermex continuous dyeing range with the new Baldwin TexChroma spray dyeing system and Archroma dyestuffs.

“We are committed to continuing to work together with a focus on bringing transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space,” says Monforts Technologist Saskia Kuhlen.

The VDMA webtalk, Driving Innovation in Sustainable Textile Finishing and Beyond, will take place from 14.00 – 15.30 CET on September 18th and invitations will be published a week in advance via the VDMA LinkedIn channel.

VDMA companies outline major benefits in finishing – and now dyeing too

Monforts and its partners Archroma and BW Converting are setting new standards in the resource efficient and cost-effective finishing of fabrics. During a recent webinar organised by Germany’s VDMA textile machinery association, specialists from the three companies provided details of the range of new energy-saving options that is now available to mills.

NTB’s unique Monforts MONTEX business gets a full upgrade

As a highly specialised company with a focus on excellence in the provision of fabric coating and finishing services, NOVA Textil-Beschichtung GmbH (NTB) has recently benefited from an extensive Monforts modernisation programme. NTB’s relationship with Monforts dates back to the company’s formation, with the 1999 installation of a first MONTEX stenter at its plant in Grefrath, Germany – just 30 kilometres away from the Monforts HQ in Mönchengladbach. At that time, the NTB team consisted of just three people at a 1,000 square metre site.

BRÜCKNER will be demonstrating what modern textile finishing looks like today at ITMA ASIA

Brückner Textile Technologies is presenting German engineering expertise and energy-efficient line concepts at this year's ITMA ASIA in Singapore. The family-run company has been a leader in customized technologies and solutions for textile equipment for over 75 years. The focus is on energy efficiency, automation, and maximum productivity.

BW Converting’s Baldwin brand validated by Fashion for Good and Apparel Impact Institute

BW Converting announces that its Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray finishing system has been validated through collaboration with Fashion for Good and Apparel Impact Institute (Aii). Following extensive trials and analysis, the technology is now recognized within Aii’s Climate Solutions Portfolio Registry as a proven solution for lowering carbon emissions and resource consumption across the global textile supply chain.

Benninger’s must-see dyeing and finishing solutions at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025

Benninger, a complete system supplier with leading technologies for continuous wet processing and discontinuous dyeing, as well as technical textiles, reinforces its commitment to sustainable textile production with resource-efficient machinery that increases both top and bottom line performance. At ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, Benninger will showcase a brand-new singeing machine for knitwear alongside proven solutions from its extensive portfolio.

The Address of innovation and investment in textile technologies: ITM 2026

Sales for ITM 2026, one of the world’s most comprehensive and prestigious exhibitions in textile technologies, are continuing at full steam. The record number of exhibitors and visitors achieved at ITM 2024 once again proved the industry’s confidence and the commercial success of the exhibition; meanwhile, the strong interest shown in ITM 2026, to be held on 9-13 June 2026, has far exceeded expectations.

STOLL in focus:

At the beginning of this year, KARL MAYER announced that it would be shifting its focus back to its core areas of warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles. As part of this strategic realignment, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand will be discontinued. The Reutlingen plant will close down on 31 October 2025. Production in China will end in December 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision for KARL MAYER.

Heimtextil 2026 strengthens the global home textile industry with trends, designs and AI technologies

With an optimised hall layout, progressive design collaborations, inspiring trends and AI-driven innovations, Heimtextil 2026 reacts to the current market situation – and offers the industry a reliable constant in challenging times. Under the motto ‘Lead the Change’, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design shows how challenges can be turned into opportunities. From 13 to 16 January, more than 3,100 exhibitors from 65 countries will provide a comprehensive market overview with new collections and textile solutions. As a knowledge hub, Heimtextil delivers new strategies and concrete solutions for future business success.