#Spinning

2024-10-24

BCF yarn producer Sitong expands polyester capacities

The Chinese carpet yarn manufacturer Zhejiang Sitong New Material Technology Co., Ltd. is expanding its polyester capacities with the commissioning of an Oerlikon Neumag BCF system of the BCF S+ type. This will enable the company to ensure a balanced production of polyester, polyamide and polypropylene yarns.

The three-end BCF system BCF S+ is extremely flexible: even in the design optimized for polyester yarn production, the system produces excellent polyamide 6 yarn. © 2024 Oerlikon

Oerlikon Neumag's BCF systems are gaining ground in the Chinese market

With a total capacity of 50,000 tons per year, Sitong is one of the largest BCF yarn manufacturers in Asia. With the additional four BCF S+ positions for polyester yarn, the company from Hangzhou is responding to the trend towards polyester carpet yarns. In the future, Sitong will use them to produce balanced BCF yarns made of polyester, polyamide 6 and polypropylene. “Our strategy is a broad portfolio; this makes us more robust in the face of trends and market fluctuations,” says Tang Liang, president and owner of Sitong. The decision in favor of Neumag was based on the good experiences. “Since our foundation in 2002, we have relied on technology from Europe; for polyester production, we only consider Oerlikon Neumag plants. We have established ourselves with our quality products in both the local and international markets; this shows that we have made the right investment decisions.”

BCF S+ is flexible

The new BCF S+ Monocolor plant is designed for polyester yarn production, but it also produced excellent data during the production of polyamide 6 yarn during the commissioning process. The ability to quickly switch to the cost-effective production of high-quality PA6 yarn gives Sitong a significant competitive advantage. “Trends are becoming increasingly short-lived. However, investing in a plant is a long-term decision. So it's a strong argument if I can spin different polymers with the same system without sacrificing the quality of the end product,” Tang Liang sums up.

Carpet market in Asia is gaining in importance

The Asian carpet market is currently experiencing noticeable growth. While the focus of carpet yarn production has been in the US and Turkey so far, Chinese BCF yarn production in particular is experiencing a real boom in the post-corona years. This is due, on the one hand, to the strengthening of the Chinese automotive sector and, on the other, to the resurgence in travel. “Many hotels are currently being renovated and new ones are being built. During the pandemic, many hotels were closed, but now there is a significant backlog demand,” says Sun Peng, Sales Director at Oerlikon Neumag in China, assessing the increased demand.

Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions hosted successful Technology Day 2025 in India

Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Solutions recently hosted its highly anticipated Innovation and Technology Day at the Deltin Hotel in Daman by end of January 2025. The event attracted over 300 participants, including industry experts, partners, and stakeholders, who gathered to explore the latest advancements and trends in the manmade fibers industry in India.

Oerlikon reports third quarter 2024 results, highlights strong execution in a challenging market landscape

In the third quarter of 2024, Oerlikon reported a stable operational Group EBITDA margin, despite challenging market conditions, thanks to a focus on pricing, cost management, and efficiency across both divisions. Group order intake saw a 4% year-over-year decline at constant FX, attributed to temporary market softness in Surface Solutions, while orders in Polymer Processing Solutions showed signs of stabilization.

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.

Measure and control the fiber – optimize yarn quality

Producing consistent yarn quality is an everyday challenge – and a very difficult one. Detailed knowledge and understanding of the fiber raw material is absolutely critical to achieving the best possible quality in the yarn. To help spinners, Uster experts have put together guidelines for avoiding yarn irregularity claims, in a special edition of the Uster News Bulletin.

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.

Selenis to double capacity in Portugal by Q3 2027 - Accelerating the Global transition to circular and low-carbon polyesters

Selenis, a global leader in high-performance specialty polyesters and part of the IMG Group, has announced a transformational expansion of its industrial headquarters in Portalegre, Portugal. This strategic investment is set to double the site’s production capacity by the third quarter of 2027, significantly accelerating the industrial scale-up of bio-based, medical-grade, and circular co-polyesters.

Independent testing confirms no detectable PFAS in Milliken firefighter turnout gear fabrics

Independent laboratory testing has confirmed that Milliken fabrics used in the manufacturing of firefighter turnout gear contain no detectable PFAS, based on third-party analysis conducted by Forever Analytical, an independent laboratory specializing in screening products and environmental samples for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns in August as global sourcing hub and trend barometer for home textiles industry

Following the conclusion of Heimtextil last month, the flagship fair in Messe Frankfurt’s global home and contract textiles portfolio, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition will return 18 – 20 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Building on the momentum generated in Frankfurt, the Shanghai fair will reinforce its position as the foremost home and contract textile platform in Asia – successfully bridging the gap between East and West, and connecting global product trends, supply-chain shifts, and buyer demand in one marketplace.