Karl Mayer strengthened its position as a trusted partner to the composites industry during its participation at JEC World 2026, where it engaged with key customers, built new contacts, and held detailed technical discussions. The global textile machinery manufacturer used the platform in Paris to highlight innovations and explore evolving market needs amid increasing global uncertainty.
A major focus of conversations was the current business environment. With geopolitical tensions and a challenging economic climate, several customers—particularly in Western markets—are reportedly delaying investments. At the same time, strong representation from countries such as the US and Turkey, along with a growing presence of the Chinese composites value chain, underlined the rising competitive pressure across the industry.
“More than ever, our customers are looking for new application areas to secure their position. In discussions with them, we were able to highlight numerous new perspectives. There were some very engaging conversations, particularly regarding the pultrusion profiles at our booth,” said Hagen Lotzmann, President, Karl Mayer Business Unit Technical Textiles.
The company showcased pultrusion profiles featuring complex chamber structures, produced using a novel approach that integrates non-crimp fabrics made on Karl Mayer multiaxial warp knitting machines into the pultrusion process. Potential applications discussed included corrosion-free solar panel frames and construction support structures.
Karl Mayer will provide further insights into these pultrusion innovations at Techtextil 2026 at Booth 12.0/B79 in Frankfurt and during the Opening Week of its new Textile Innovation Center in Obertshausen.
The company also observed growing interest in carbon applications, especially in mobility and transportation. Carbon composites are increasingly being used in automotive components such as battery housings and underfloor structures, while also gaining traction in drone manufacturing. Karl Mayer’s COP MAX 5 continues to support reinforcement production for composite parts.