[pageLogInLogOut]

#ITMA 2019

Going digital at ITMA 2019

(c) 2019 VDMA
ITMA 2019, the world’s leading fair dedicated to textile machinery, is once again marked by a significant presence of German companies. More than 220 exhibitors from Germany including more than 110 VDMA member companies cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning, nonwoven, weaving, knitting, warp knitting and finishing. The overall exhibition space occupied by German machinery manufacturers is more than 21 thousand square meters, an increase of booth space by approximately 3.5 % compared to ITMA 2015.

VDMA members show in Barcelona most advanced technology solutions and applications of Industry 4.0 (also called Industrial Internet of Things for intelligent and integrated manufacturing) including Smart Services.

During the VDMA press conference at ITMA, spokespersons of twelve renowned VDMA member companies showed how Industry 4.0 solutions are impacting the textile process chain. Here are their statements:

Alexandre Butte, Director Business Development, ANDRITZ Perfojet: “ANDRITZ has pooled its relevant expertise to offer attractive digital solutions for existing and new plants under one technology brand: Metris. Metris technologies are the very latest state-of-the-art in the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) or Industry 4.0 sector and can be fully tailored to individual customer requirements.”

Axel Pieper, CTO, Brückner Trockentechnik: “Software innovations around textile machines are becoming increasingly important in product development.

Our newly developed mobile machine operation panels and management cockpits have increased user-friendliness significantly.

Advanced production assistance systems support the operator to maximize production output at the lowest possible cost while maintaining a consistent high-quality level.

Our advanced service tools offer new features such as predictive maintenance, video tutorials and augmented reality support.”

André Imhof, COO, Autefa Solutions: “Digitalization succeeds when the focus is on customer benefits. Our Service 4.0 covers all aspects of improving the bottom line of a production line during lifetime. Based on the availability of a permanent digital communication, Autefa Service 4.0 provides well-graded services for customer’s benefit. Autefa Service 4.0 integrates tasks from well-known daily jobs up to high sophisticated big data algorithms always focused on customer needs.”

Dierk Dornieden, Head of Sales, Dienes Apparatebau: “The DIENES MultiMode® system is the I4.0 for research. All the functionalities of the MultiMode® allow the research institutes and the industry to reduce cost and to operate fast and flexibly in the development of new products.”

Marcus Ott, Managing Director, Halo: “In our view the textile industry needs custom-tailored IT solutions to reach the highest level of data transparency – from fibre to finished product. Direct communication between man and machine does not only enable this consistently transparent presentation of all relevant data, but also gives employees flexible and, most importantly, mobile access to it.”

Antonia Gottschalk, Managing Director, KM.ON, a software start-up company of Karl Mayer: “At ITMA we will build a bridge from machine building via applications and textiles up to the topic of Industry 4.0: We will show seven innovative machines, giving an insight into the „Future of Textiles“ and present new digital solutions of KM.ON. The products of our digital brand can be used by our customers and by other textile manufacturers to considerably improve their processes in all business units. So, for example, the innovations include a first product belonging to k.production, by means of which it is possible to efficiently eliminate and analyse malfunctions during the production flow. Besides, our software start-up, KM.ON GmbH, has already set up first subsidiaries abroad, in Asia. In this way, we can sharpen the regional focus of our offers, at the same time receiving important stimuli for new developments from our main market.”

Sebastian Mayer, Member of the Management, Mayer & Cie.: “We aim to always be one step ahead. The digitization offers us valuable opportunities to stay true to our company principle, beyond the developments in technology.”

Klaus A. Heinrichs, Vice President, Monforts Textilmaschinen: “With the help of Monforts advanced sensor technology, all technical machine data are mapped in the cloud virtually and in real time. The data in the cloud indicate the current state of the system with its respective specifications and can map the entire production process, enabling targeted analysis and controlled planning and production: Insights harnessed from data analyses can be used to optimise the actual production process. The status overview in real-time improves machine availability while minimising downtime considerably. Potential sources of error can be anticipated and eliminated. The digital twin provides information on individual wear parts of a system, such as converters or gears, for example. In the future operators will be able to see how long a wearing part will last and when it has to be maintained or replaced ahead of time. Direct access to the integrated Monforts webshop allows users to order wearing and spare parts at the press of the button when they are needed, virtually preventing machine downtime.”

Wilhelm Langius, Division Head, Neuenhauser Maschinenbau: “Neuenhauser saw with the recent advances in autonomous vehicles and navigation systems that AGV’s are necessary for the spinning mill future. AGV stands for Automatic Guided Vehicles, a technology that has been around for years but has been fuelled recently by the introduction of Industry 4.0. Within shortest time, our team developed a state-of-the-art transport system using a large fleet of intelligently controlled automated guided vehicles. At ITMA Europe 2019 we will be presenting our AGV’s to the specialist audience for the first time and are very excited about the response.”

André Wissenberg, Vice President Marketing, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment: “Oerlikon invites all visitors to this year's ITMA on a journey into the future of manmade fiber production. We will show all our guests our vision of a sustainable and automated manmade fiber production in a spectacular virtual 4D showroom: "Clean Technology. Smart Factory." is the motto of the future. And this is only a stone's throw away from reality at our booth. Today we are presenting four world premieres for efficient machine and plant concepts in a new, innovative industrial design. Together with numerous other innovations, all this forms our new DNA.”

Andreas Hannes, Marketing Manager, Sedo-Treepoint: “Digitalization and the smart factory are big challenges for our customers – especially in dyeing and finishing, there is a high potential for savings and technological improvements. Sedo Treepoint as a market leader in dyeing and finishing automation has been providing innovative solutions to our customers for more than 40 years. Our new developments shown at ITMA are designed for the Smart factory and will help customers to strengthen competitive advantages. We are your Experts for process optimization!”

Dr. Christof Soest, CTO, Trützschler: “Excellent spinning preparation is crucial for yarn quality – and at Trützschler, I4.0 technologies help to make this process even smarter. By integrating intelligent, self-optimizing machinery solutions and digital systems Trützschler enables customers to take a big step towards automation to ensure consistent quality.”

Future engineers

ITMA is also an event for junior engineers. With the financial support of the VDMA, more than 300 students from eight technical universities take the chance to see high-tech live in Barcelona. An investment in the future of the sector that pays off.

VDMA ITMA Pocket Guide

Visitors to ITMA get a compact overview of manufacturers and their products in the useful pocket guide, listing all exhibiting VDMA members by halls and showing their stand location in hall plans. The pocket guide is available as hard copy at the Info counters East, North and South Access or online under http://www.machines-for-textiles.com/pocket-guide.


More News from VDMA Fachverband Textilmaschinen

#Associations

VDMA Textile Machinery with new Executive Board

At the general meeting of VDMA Textile Machinery held in Hanover at the end of September, Dr Janpeter Horn, Managing Director of A. Herzog Maschinenfabrik, was re-elected as Chairman of the trade association. Regina Brückner, managing partner of Brückner Trockentechnik, and Verena Thies, managing partner of Thies Textilmaschinen, will once again serve as vice-chairs for the next four years.

#Techtextil 2026

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

#Associations

Young researchers recognised for cutting-edge work in recycling, fibre technology and textile mechanics

At the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference held in Aachen at the end of November, Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, honoured five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses that develop solutions for resource-saving products and technologies, for example, are eligible for the sustainability awards.

#ITMA Asia + CITME Singapore 2025

VDMA members at ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore

With 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. Altogether 82 companies from Germany will exhibit at the show, covering about 3,500 square meters of exhibition space, topped only by China and Italy. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

More News on ITMA 2019

Latest News

#Textile chemistry

Nicca names Archroma exclusive ZELAN™ distributor, extending a decade-long legacy

Archroma and Nicca Chemical are collaborating to support the continued growth of ZELAN™ non-fluorinated durable water repellents (DWRs) across the global textile industry. The announcement follows Nicca’s acquisition of the ZELAN™ business from The Chemours Company in March 2026 and extends Archroma’s decade-long legacy with the ZELAN™ brand.

#Functional Fabrics

ROICA™ presents stretch textile innovations from nine partners at PERFORMANCE DAYS 2026

ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei will return to PERFORMANCE DAYS Munich on October 13–14, 2026, presenting textile developments from seven European partners and two Japanese specialists under its global brand message, “STRETCH YOUR FUTURE.” Visitors can discover the developments at Booth P10 in Hall A4.

#IGATEX 2026

SHIMA SEIKI to showcase flat knitting and digital design solutions at IGATEX Pakistan 2026

Leading computerized flat knitting technology provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Pakistani representative ALMURTAZA MACHINERY CO., (PVT) Ltd., will exhibit at the upcoming International Exhibition for Garment, Textile Machinery and Accessories (IGATEX Pakistan 2026) in Lahore, Pakistan, from October 15–18. SHIMA SEIKI will introduce computerized flat knitting machines, 3D design software and various web platforms as proposals for sustainable production through innovative shaping technology and the latest digital solutions.

#Dyeing, Drying, Finishing

Brazilian market leader Cedro Têxtil focuses on greater efficiency, sustainability, and product quality with Brückner

After more than 150 years of company history, Cedro Têxtil is once again embracing the challenges of a changing industry. Widely recognized as the largest manufacturer of workwear fabrics in Latin America, the Brazilian textile company continues to invest in the modernization of its production facilities. A key milestone in this process was the decision to install a state-of-the-art Brückner stenter frame just over a year ago.

TOP