#Spinning

2023-05-25

Energy-efficient and ecological production processes

The threat of an energy crisis in Europe has given further impetus to Rieter’s existing strategy of optimizing energy consumption. All European locations were instructed to take rapid and comprehensive measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, especially gas. The company plans to switch entirely to renewable energy sources for heating and cooling by 2030.

Under the slogan “Reduce energy consumption – minimize energy losses – substitute fossil fuels”, Rieter is pressing ahead with its strategy of reducing energy consumption and substituting fossil fuels. In cooperation with external consulting firms, further savings potential is being identified. In 2022, Rieter conducted energy audits at all production sites. The results of these audits are expected during the course of 2023. Recommendations for action will be derived from them. The initial recommendations have already been implemented at individual sites. In Winterthur, energy saving measures such as reducing the heating temperature resulted in a 23% reduction in total energy consumption in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Wherever possible, energy specialists at Rieter exploit further potential for savings, such as heat recovery in machines and the elimination of leaks in the compressed air network.

Innovative approaches for greater efficiency

In Hammelburg (Germany), Temco manufactures components for the production of filament yarns and man-made fibers. The production site has been redesigned for improved energy efficiency and increased flexibility. Since the beginning of 2023, the company has replaced an outdated, centralized filtration system and the associated cooling system with new, decentralized systems. Various machine groups are now supplied with oil from multiple systems, and three lathes are equipped with individual supply units. This lowers the energy requirements of the entire site by almost 5%, the plant requires less chemicals and cooling water, and maintenance work is also reduced.

Expansion of solar capacity

Rieter further expanded its solar power capacity in 2022. Four new photovoltaic systems (PVS) in three countries deliver an additional 4 200 MWh of capacity. The company now has ten PVS in four countries with an annual capacity of 7 500 MWh, and worldwide can cover approximately 13% of its own electricity requirements with renewable energies. The largest PVS is in Changzhou (China). With a capacity of 3 350 MWh, it has provided between 25% and 30% of the electricity demand since May 2022. In November, the Group commissioned a new PVS in Ústí nad Orlicí (Czech Republic). This supplies 20% of the site’s electricity needs.

In Switzerland, following the commissioning of two further plants, the company now has more than seven PVS. Since May 2022, the Rapperswil-Jona site has been covering 5% of its electricity requirements with its own solar power. A new plant with an annual capacity of 100 MWh complements the existing PVS at the headquarters in Winterthur (Switzerland). Together with the small hydropower plant, which has a capacity of 1 000 MWh, the Winterthur site can now cover 25% of its electricity requirements with its own renewable energy. In India, the company has already been sourcing around 20% of its electricity needs from solar power since 2019.

Rieter advances strategic repositioning amid market volatility

Rieter successfully completed the acquisition of Barmag on February 2, 2026, and reached an important milestone in the company’s repositioning. Barmag will be integrated into the Rieter Group as the “Man-Made Fiber” Division. With this strategically transformative acquisition, Rieter is expanding its core business beyond the short-staple fiber business in a targeted way. This positions Rieter as the global market leader along the entire value chain for natural and man-made fibers. In addition, as a complete systems supplier, Rieter is further strengthening its technological leadership in the areas of automation and digitization.

Rieter responds to higher raw material prices

Global political and economic developments have been leading to rising raw material and energy costs for some time. The textile machinery industry is also affected by this trend. Rieter machines and components consist to a large extent of steel, copper, aluminum and electronics. These materials in particular have seen higher demand and higher prices in recent months.

Rieter adjusts group structure in preparation for Barmag integration

The planned acquisition of the “Barmag” Division of OC Oerlikon will create the leading system provider worldwide for natural and man-made fibers. Rieter is confident it will receive all regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Rieter Group is therefore adjusting its Group structure as of January 1, 2026, to take this acquisition into account and to be able to provide an even more agile response to market challenges.

Temco launches a new DTY all-in-one solution

Temco introduces the DTY All-in-One Solution – a fully harmonized set of components engineered to give customers a highly stable, low maintenance and reproducible process environment. The solution reduces interruptions, extends component lifetimes and supports consistent yarn quality across all machine positions. All-in-One Solution – a fully harmonized set of components engineered to provide maintenance and reproducible process environment.

DIENES at Techtextil 2026: Flexible pilot lines for bio-based fiber development

The growing relevance of bio-based materials in technical textiles is accompanied by increasing demands for reproducibility, high-quality data, and scalable process routes. Especially when working with cellulose and its derivatives, chitosan, lignin-based approaches, or bio-based PAN as a carbon-fiber precursor, R&D teams face variable feedstock quality, tighter process windows, and the need for reliable comparability across trials. This calls for flexible, data-driven experimental setups that can be reconfigured efficiently when recipes, solvents, and raw-material batches change.

RETECH showcases high-precision godets for high-performance fiber processing at Techtextil 2026

RETECH designs and manufactures godets and draw frames for heated, ambient and cooled processes, enabling precise heat treatment and consistently high yarn quality for a wide range of polymers and applications, with process temperatures of up to 400 °C for high-performance fibers. The company’s key competence lies in exact and stable temperature and speed control, individually adapted to the specific material and process requirements.

VANDEWIELE Group at Techtextil 2026 – Textile innovations together

The VANDEWIELEGroup will showcase its latest technologies for technical textiles at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt from April 21–24 (Hall 12.0, Stand C21). As a global leader in textile machinery, the group brings together specialised brands to support the evolving demands of high-performance textile applications. Visitors will discover solutions in laboratory testing, yarn joining, yarn feeding and thread tension monitoring, designed to create measurable value across the textile value chain.