#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

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.

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.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Last chance to apply: ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley closes tomorrow

Applications for the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 close tomorrow, offering young technology companies the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several successful participants from the 2023 edition. The initiative, organised under the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant programme, has already helped a number of textile start-ups accelerate their transition from early-stage concepts to industrial partnerships, funding rounds and commercial deployment.

Jeanologia brings “Billy” to China, the AI transforming denim design

The denim industry is turning its attention to Hangzhou this week, where a new edition of Kingpins, the leading international trade show for the sector, takes place on May 21 and 22. There, the Spanish company Jeanologia, a global leader in sustainable technologies for the textile industry, is introducing its latest innovation to the Chinese market: “Billy”, the first artificial intelligence specifically developed for denim finishing design.