#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

2014-02-20

Acrylic fibre dyeing with Thies upgrade for Ahlesa Blankets in South Africa

Thies eco bloc X dyeing unit (c) 2014 Thies Textilmaschinen

South Africa – based Ahlesa Blankets (Pty) Ltd has recently taken delivery of a new Thies eco bloc X dyeing unit in an acrylic fibre dyeing application. The new dyeing unit offers additional 25% production, for acrylic fibre dyeing plus significant energy savings, improved flows and colour fastness.

Originally based in Turkey, Mekent Tekstil decided to move its entire operations in 1996 to Atlantis, close to Cape Town, to begin production of acrylic blankets; relying on two used Thies eco bloc units bought locally in South Africa.

Buying the acrylic fibres on the world market, Ahlesa Blankets dyes the fibres in house for the fully integrated operation. Ahlesa dyes and blends the fibre, thereafter spinning the yarn, weaving and finishing the blankets to final make up and packaging ready for despatch. Working three shifts daily, six days a week the company is thought to be the country’s largest blanket producer. The company produces a variety of blanket sizes from baby blankets (50 x 125cm) to king size (240 x 270cm) and weights from 460 – 650gm/m².

The new Thies unit was installed late last year and replaces one of the original two eco bloc’s following almost 17 years trouble-free operation with Ahlesa. “And,” said Operations Manager, Saban Kus, “don’t forget that before we took delivery they were already almost 20 years old.

“We have been very satisfied with their trouble-free operation,” he added.

The new machine is able to dye four fibre ‘cakes’, each measuring 1900mm dia and weighing 300kg instead of three cakes in the older unit.

Additionally according to Ahlesa’s General Manager, Baris Kuyucu, “the new high temperature machine is greatly improved technically offering better colour fastness, improved flows and significant energy savings.”

Producing up to 5000 blankets a day Ahlesa’s main market is the domestic chain stores although some export markets are also opening in neighbouring countries such as Namibia and Botswana.

Pic: Blanket made by Ahlesa Blankets

New Gravimax MMX-R X-ray sensor platform opens up new application fields

The demands placed on quality control in web-based production processes are increasing: materials are becoming more complex, basis weights are varying more widely, and at the same time, pressure is growing to make processes more efficient and transparent. Precise measurement data across the entire web width has therefore become a key factor in ensuring stable production processes. With its new Gravimax MMX-R sensor platform, Mahlo introduces a radiometric measurement solution designed to set new standards in determining basis weight and material composition. The platform combines advanced X-ray technology with newly developed signal processing, enabling measurement tasks that previously often required multiple sensor technologies.

BW Converting to present its Baldwin TexCoat® G4 at Techtextil 2026

BW Converting will present its Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray finishing system at Techtextil Frankfurt 2026, taking place April 21-24 at Messe Frankfurt. Visitors to Hall 12, Booth C56B, will have the opportunity to explore how this advanced spray technology helps textile manufacturers improve finishing quality, increase efficiency and reduce resource consumption across a wide range of applications.

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.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.