Defend, create, build in technical textiles

Be it a jacquard machine, dobby, warp tying, leasing, and drawing-in system, Staubli has some proven, excellent equipment for the technical textiles sector too. About 5 years ago, at the Techtextil exhibition

Staubli impressed the technical textile segment with a Jacquard machine type LX 1602 with 1408 hooks and demonstration harness, two tying installations with machines and frames – a TOPMATIC, and the new warp tying machine MAGMA for course and medium yarn counts.

Fritz Legler, Head of Marketing, Sales & Service, at Staubli, Switzerland is a keen observer of the happenings in the Indian market. He was at the recently-held ITMACH Exhibition in Bhiwandi, busy gathering information on the winds of change blowing across the Indian textile market. He spoke in an exclusive interview with Samuel Joseph, Editor of The Indian Textile Journal, on the technical textile market in India and Staublis offers for this market.

Excerpts:

Samuel Joseph: What are the systems & technologies available with Stäubli for the technical textile sector?
Fritz Legler: Our main products are our Beam Knotting Machine type MAGMA for very coarse or delicate warp tying operations. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to our shed forming technologies for active warp control with our latest generation of cam motions (1600/1700 series), dobbies (S3000/S3200 series) as well as Jacquard machines UNIVAL 100 for single end control for 3D-weaving or our LX-series for technical textiles. Automatic drawing-in of most complex and delicate warps in area of filtration, glass or aramides is another major topic at the show. As a novelty, Stäubli will launch new application opportunities offered with our new weaving machine solutions under the brand of Sch÷nherr. The Alpha 500 TECH with "free-flight" double rapiers expands into new and challenging application areas.

Stäubli products are used in basically all areas of technical & industrial textiles – some examples:

• Agrotech: (eg, anti-hail nets, crop covers, erosion protection materials)
• Buildtech: (eg, tarpaulins, awnings, scaffold nets)
• Clothtech: (eg, interlinings, shoe components)
• Geotech: (eg, ground stabilisation, erosion control, geosynthetics, geogrids)
• Hometech: (eg, carpet backings, mosquito nets)
• Indutech: (eg, conveyor & drive belts, bolting cloth, fibre glass, paper making felts)
• Medtech: (eg, gowns, drapes, wound care, sterile packaging)
• Mobiltech: (eg, airbags, car-aircraft-rail upholstery, automotive carpets, helmets)
• Oekotech: (eg, woven filters, automotive insulation)
• Packtech: (eg, flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), leno & laundry bags)
• Protech: (eg, ballistics, fire retardant apparel & fabrics, NBC suits)
• Sportech: (eg, tents, artificial turf, parachute fabrics, sleeping bags)

Samuel Joseph: How has been the market for Stäubli in this segment in India?
Fritz Legler: Stäubli is growing along with the technical market in India. Many companies are venturing into this market segment. General market studies suggest that this market segment is globally growing 2 – 4 per cent in average per annum. Our contribution is through active warp control in warp preparation (ie, beam knotting, leasing and automatic drawing-in), shed formation (ie, cam motions, dobbies and jacquard machines used on weaving machines of different brands and makes) or weaving machines (ie, Sch÷nherr brand). On top of this, Stäubli offers local technical support thus enabling our customers to have their peace of m