#ITMA 2015

2015-10-15

ITMA newcomer RSG revolutionizes textile process automation

RSG Automation Technics GmbH & Co. KG, located within the high-tech metropolitan region of Stuttgart, presents for the first time at the ITMA in Milano unique specialized machinery, which redefine the term "automation" in textile industry.

With many years of know-how, gained over 30 years of company tradition, RSG offers its customers today innovative textile machinery with which process costs are significantly reduced and thus product quality and production volume significantly increased. For this purpose RSG offers tailor-made solutions and provides customer support from basic concept preparation to assembly and start-up of the machine entirely assembled in Germany. Additionally, software is developed and optimized at RSG according to customer requests and ideas. World-wide service and lasting customer support top off the deal. RSG does not deliver standard facilities, but rather adaptations of all machines to customer processes and products, which can be both fully and semi-automated. Concepts extend from solutions for narrow fabrics of any kind, such as belts and straps, to technical textiles, such as filter, felts, and fleeces, as well as confectioning optimization in the domain of home textiles.

RSG also offers patented monitoring techniques for different sewing processes, which entirely secures sewing. All upstream and downstream processes (sewing, welding, ultrasound, laser applications, printing, winding, packaging, etc.) that are available on the market can be integrated into the overall process. With RSG, textile enterprises can safeguard their production location even in intensive labor cost countries in the long run, and can still position themselves successfully in the market. You can find RSG at the ITMA in Hall 7 – Stand B118.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.