Clean Technology, Smart Factory

Oerlikon invites all visitors to this year’s ITMA on a journey into the future of manmade fibre production.The world market leader will show all its guests its vision of a sustainable and automated manmade fibre production in a 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 the stand. Because today Oerlikon is presenting four world premieres for efficient machine and plant concepts in a new, innovative industrial design. Together with numerous other innovations, all this forms the new DNA of the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment.

The challenges for the manmade fibre industry are manifold and Oerlikon shows its customers solutions: Choosing the right business model: Price pressure on fibre and yarn manufacturers is growing due to global market consolidation. Here it is important to position oneself correctly. Are you producing polyester, nylon or polypropylene for the niche market and skimming off good margins with innovative products and ingenious material properties, or are you looking for business success through economies of scale in the volume market such as the constantly growing apparel sector? Oerlikon has the right answers for both business models. And the most important thing: the market leader supplies all solutions from a single source. See for yourself at the world premieres of the machine and system concepts of WINGS FDY PA6, BCF S8 Tricolor and the revolutionary eAFK Evo texturing machine.

Finding alternatives for good personnel: Finding good operators in the manmade fibre industry is becoming increasingly difficult, even in emerging industrial nations such as China, India and Turkey. The solution is obvious. What, for example, the automotive industry achieved years ago with the third industrial revolution is now also taking its course in the textile industry. And at the same time it is even shifting up a gear. In the next step, automation in combination with digitisation will lead to new, sustainable production. Oerlikon will be showing how automation and digitisation interact at ITMA. Self-learning machines and systems, AI, remote services and edge computing are just a few of the key words in the digital half of the new Oerlikon Manmade Fibers DNA.

Guarantee quality and traceability: The qualities of the fibres and yarns must meet the highest demands and their production must be traceable throughout the textile value chain. This no longer only plays an important role in the automotive industry, where safety is of paramount importance. Other branches of industry that use fibres, yarns and nonwovens also want to know where the raw materials they produce for consumer articles come from. Legal regulations are demanding this more and more frequently. Oerlikon offers optimal solutions with its DIN ISO certified manufacturing processes. More than half of the world’s man-made fibre producers are convinced every day that the qualities produced on Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven equipment are right – and all visitors to ITMA can do the same on site.

Efficient and sustainable production: In the future, the materials produced from man-made fibres must become part of a further improved global recycling economy. The recycling of polyester—with over 80 per cent market share the most frequently used man-made fibre in the world—has not only been on the agenda since today. Oerlikon already has solutions at hand: from PET bottles to fibres and filaments, to textiles and carpets. ITMA is the next step. With the VacuFil® Oerlikon in cooperation with the subsidiary company BBEngineering presents the world premiere No. 4 – a recycling solution within a running polyester production with a waste-free approach.

Vision becomes reality

The Oerlikon Manmade Fibers segment thus demonstrates what the ITMA in Barcelona promises as the world’s leading trade fair for textile machinery and plant construction: “Innovating the world of textiles – sourcing for a sustainable future”. In Hall 7, A101, this is already reality.

Oerlikon develops modern materials, systems and surface technologies and provides specialised services aimed at securing high-performance products and systems with long lifespans for customers. Supported by its technological core competencies and its strong financial footing, the corporation continues its medium-term growth plan by implementing three strategic factors: focusing on attractive growth markets, ensuring structural growth and expanding through targeted M&A activities. Oerlikon is a globally-leading technology and engineering corporation, operating its business in two segments (Surface Solutions and Manmade Fibers) and employing around 10,500 members of staff at 175 sites in 37 countries worldwide. In 2018, Oerlikon generated sales of CHF 2.6 billion and invested around CHF 120 million in R&D.