Indian textile engineering industry in expansion mode
At ITME 2022, Rakesh Rao spoke to exhibitors, many of whom had launched new products at the trade fair, to know their expansion plans to tap the emerging opportunities – in India as well as overseas.
During his interaction with the industry in October 2021, Piyush Goyal, the Union Textiles Minister, expressed the need to create 100 Indian textile machinery champions, who are recognised across the world, by focusing on quality and innovations. The Government of India (GoI) has set a steep target of $ 100 billion for textiles and garment exports over next five years and textile machinery sector has an important part to play in achieving it. A modern and upgraded textile machinery ecosystem can ably support to the rising Indian textile industry by moving up the manufacturing excellence and increasing its competitiveness. A strong engineering sector would also have a cascading impact on small & medium textile manufacturers for providing them cost-effective modern technologies locally.
The urgency and quest to be on the top of the curve was amply visible at India ITME 2022 where Indian textile engineering showcased state-of-the-art technologies and solutions to augment the dynamics along entire textile value chain. ITJ’s Rakesh Rao spoke to exhibitors, many of whom had launched new products at the trade fair, to know their expansion plans to tap the emerging opportunities – in India as well as overseas.
S Hari Shankar: ITME 2022 has been very productive for all
India ITME 2022 kick started with a humungous response from exhibitors and visitors from across the world. While speaking to ITJ during the trade fair, elated S Hari Shankar, Chairman of India ITME Society, and Joint Managing Director of Lakshmi Card Clothing Mfg Co Pvt Ltd, said, “We were not able to host this exhibition on the scheduled time due to pandemic. Now that the trade fair is taking place, companies are happy to meet their customers face-to-face after a long time. Footfall has been really amazing at ITME 2022. It’s not just about exhibitors, the product launches and number of displays that we have here, but also about technical sessions and forums where elite panelists discuss various relevant topics to the textile industry. In addition, there are B2B meetings, where delegations from other countries are interacting with potential suppliers at ITME. All-in-all, it is a very productive event for all participants of ITME.”
Sharing his views on sustainability, he said, “Circularity and green initiatives are the need of the hour. These topics are extensively covered in the seminars (that are taking place at ITME 2022) and provide a right platform to key stakeholders to come together to discuss solutions for the green future. Carbon emission is real and we all have to play our part constructively to keep our environment safe for the future generations. Even at this trade fair, companies are exhibiting products and services for providing solutions to textile industry for fulfilling their automation and sustainability needs.”
With rising awareness about environment among consumers, textile makers are taking steps to make their processes eco-friendly. “End consumers (especially the younger generation) are more aware about the environmental issues and are playing their part in forcing the textile industry to go green. Hence, entire textile value chain is taking efforts to reduce their carbon footprint,” explained S Hari Shankar.
Sharing his view on the upcoming budget 2023, he said, “The government has already launched the first phase of Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme (i.e. PLI 1) and is currently working on PLI 2 scheme. Budget should be used to bridge the gap between textile machinery makers and their users (i.e. textile product makers). Both can work hand-in-hand to overcome each other’s shortcomings so find solutions for the industry’s bright future.”
Bharat Beams eyes growth in technical textiles
The Ahmedabad-based Bharat Beams Pvt Ltd displayed a wide range of high-quality warper and weaver beams at ITME 2022. “Bharat Beams has been manufacturing quality warper and weaver beams. We are supplying our products to OEM manufacturers from India and other countries in Europe, Africa, South East Asia, etc. At ITME, besides warper beams, weaver beams and cloth rolls, we are displaying Q4 quality flanges for weaving market (for technical textiles),” stated Snehal Panchal, Director, Bharat Beams Pvt Ltd.
Technical textile industry is considered to be a sunrise sector with many players entering the market. Bharat Beams is all geared up to support this industry. “We are seeing rise in demand for our products from this sector and have supplied many beams to technical textile companies in the recent months. We expect the technical textiles market to boom in the coming years,” he added.
Companies from South India are coming up with new projects in shirting as well as bed sheeting; thus presenting growth opportunity in the region. Speaking about the company’s growth plans, Snehal Panchal said, “We have already doubled our production capacity recently to fulfill our orders. We are running our foundry and plants in full stream to cater to the market demand. We recently brought new machines to ramp up capacity. We are also using special hard anodised coatings on flanges for glass fibre yarns.”
Prashant Group showcases Industry 4.0 prowess
Prashant Group of Industries, which provides machinery and solutions for weaving preparation, highlighted its Industry 4.0 compliant machines at the trade fair. Amoli Shah, Director, Prashant Group of Industries, elaborated, “All our machines displayed at ITME 2022 are embedded with Industry 4.0 features. At present, Indian corporates, who are exporting textile products, are demanding high-end, Industry 4.0 enabled machines for manufacturing quality products efficiently. In addition, we are showcasing new models of sectional warping machines, direct warping machines, tensioner, etc. Also, on the display is our newly developed motorised trolley (for terry towel industry) that can reduce the downtime on loom by 30 per cent resulting in big savings for the user. Response for us at ITME has been good and we have received some orders as well.”
Prashant Group is the one-stop solution provider in the weaving preparatory equipment. The company offers products such as sizing machines, warping machines, sectional warping machines, specialised machines for technical textiles, poly beamer for PP and HDTP tape, Indigo rope dyeing and sheet dyeing machine. It also provides automatic robotic sectional warping machines. For material handling, it offers motorised battery-operated trolleys, inspection machines and computerised vertical beam storage systems.
While developing new solutions for the textile industry, the company also focuses on sustainability. “For example, in denim indigo dyeing, we have introduced nitro sealing technology, which helps in reducing consumption of water and chemicals by 50 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Hence, it offers huge environmental benefit to the industry. We are also focusing on adding more automated features to our machines, as we believe it provides competitive advantage to our customers. Our robotic warping, which we have sold world over, increases efficiency by 30-40 per cent,” she explained.
With Indian textile industry showing strong growth, everybody is eyeing to tap the market. “India will continue to be our focused market. In addition, we are exploring opportunities in overseas market to propel our business. At present, we export to over 50 countries and it contributes about 20 per cent to our business,” opined Amoli Shah.
On future plans, she said, “Our plans are to add new machines and increase our footprint in more countries worldwide. In material handling business, we will be adding new solutions to serve more segments in textiles. We would like to increase our business from technical textiles, where we are already strong by supplying our machines. Initially, only big companies were driving the demand, but now (especially in the last one year) even small scale firms are buying our machines for technical textiles. We see technical textiles as a key growth propeller for us.”
LRT focuses on innovations at ITME
Lakshmi Ring Travellers (LRT), a dominate player in the ring travellers segment in India and globally, showcased innovative products at ITME. “We have made a lot of new developments in our existing products. For example, our finishers have undergone process change. We are also displaying new battery operated as well as manual application tools here. Our new Electroclean tool (EC 3) comes with a long-life battery and offers high spindle speed,” elaborated J M Balaji, Head Marketing, Lakshmi Ring Travellers (Coimbatore) Ltd. LRT has products for all segments of the market whether it is for natural or man-made fibres.
Speaking about the market demand, he said, “2021 was extremely good year for everybody in textile value chain. The market was upbeat till May 2022, but after June 2022 the demand has slowed down. As a result, capacity utilisation of all spinning mills (across the world) came down. Probably, this is a first time in the history of textile industry that the entire world has been affected. In the last month or so, the situation has started improving and we expect gradual improvement in demand over the next few months. India is better placed than others in spinning segment. Besides, Central American countries, where we are already a leading supplier, will witness higher growth in the next 4-5 years as they are closer to the US (where companies would like to source their products from nearer countries). All-in-all, there will be a definite improvement in the market in 2023 (as compared to 2022). But, how good will it be is very difficult to predict as there is uncertainty in the market.”
With respect to suggestions to the government on the eve of upcoming budget 2023, Balaji opined, “India should not export yarns, rather focus should be on exporting value-added products, like fabric, garments, etc. Today, we are exporting about 110 million tonnes of yarns. The government should incentivise post-spinning segments like weaving, knitting, garmenting, technical textiles, etc to encourage value addition in Indian textile industry.”
Batliboi: The complete solution provider
The engineering major Batliboi Ltd showcased the latest generation of textile machinery for serving the textile segments like spinning, knitting, processing, printing, technical textiles, etc at ITME 2022. The group broadly operates under two business units – machine tools and textiles division. “Textile division has its own manufacturing unit and also partners with some of the leading global companies to offers their solutions to our customers. Batliboi, through in-house manufacturing and its trading partners (principals), serve the entire value chain of the textile industry. We are known to offer a complete end-to-end solution to the industry,” opined Sanjiv Joshi, Managing Director, Batliboi Ltd.
At ITME, Batliboi was represented at two stalls. At Hall 7, the group participated along with its principals like Mayer and Cie, Ferraro, Mario Crosta, Loris Bellini, Pentek, Eliar, Europrogetti, Ichinose, Fimat, Dettin, Pozzi, Intex, etc. Batliboi exhibited its textile air engineering division and Loptex and Saurer BD’s semiautomatic rotor spinning machines at Hall 11.
He stated, “With respect to our manufacturing business, we have developed IoT-enabled integrated panel for remote controlling and monitoring. We are focusing on make our products aesthetically good. In trading business, we have added new partners in dyeing and printing, who are displaying their solutions for the first time to Indian customers at this trade fair.”
With rise in competition, customers are becoming more and more demanding. “In addition to providing state-of-the-art products/machines, it is important to offer high-quality after-sales services. Textile is a continuous process industry and any breakdown in the production needs immediate solutions. So, we are scaling up our services network to be closer to the customers. Digital features on our machines will also help us serve the customers better,” said Sanjiv Joshi.
Talking about the company’s future plans, he said, “We are looking at expanding business by increasing product portfolio (via new trading partners). For example, we are adding partners for effluent treatment solutions as the environmental issue is a big challenge before the industry today. We are also looking at solutions to offer in the areas like textile recycling, energy conservation, etc. In addition, we are looking at inorganic growth opportunity as well.”
Jogson showcases eco-friendly dyeing machines
Jogindra Industries Pvt Ltd, offers products under Jogson brand, presented eco-friendly range of yarn dyeing machines at the trade fair. “At ITME, we are highlighting two new versions of horizontal dyeing machine and multipot sample dyeing machine. Our machines are environment friendly. For example, our horizontal dyeing machine is a low liquor dyeing machine, which saves water requirement, needs less chemicals and results in lower effluent discharge. Also, this machine helps in energy conservation as it requires less heat for dyeing process. Return on investment is very fast with this machine,” commented Inderpal Singh, Director – Technical, Jogindra Industries Pvt Ltd. Similarly, multipot sample dyeing machine is ideal for sampling as well as small scale manufacturing and the user can couple 2 or more such machines to increase their production capacity.
Jogson today is well-known for manufacturing high-quality, cost-effective and reliable machines for yarn dyeing, conditioning, laundry and drying. In addition, the company supplies accessories for yarn dyeing such as carrier spindles, bobbin for tape, carrier for cones, fiber/hanks carrier, trolley (for cones, hanks & trays), mixing pot, chemical storage tank, sampling pot, package pressing machine, etc.
Speaking about growth plans, he said, “Earlier exports contributed 30-35 per cent to our business, which came down to 20-25 per cent after Covid. Going forward, we would like to scale up exports by focusing on big textile hubs like Bangladesh, Vietnam, etc. In addition, we will be launching some new machines for yarn dyeing in the near future.”
ICC highlights carding solutions for nonwovens
The Indian Card Clothing Co Ltd (ICC) – the leading innovator in cardroom solutions and accessories – displayed novel carding solutions for spinning as well as nonwovens at ITME 2022. “Card clothing is critical component of carding machines. We supply all range of carding clothing for short staple spinning as well nonwoven (technical textiles) segments,” said Ashok K Pal, Vice President (Product Development & Technical support), ICC.
Recently, ICC had taken over UK-based Garnett Wire Ltd (GWL) – a supplier of card clothing for nonwovens – with whom it was collaborating for the past many years. With this, Indian Card Clothing, which is already present in 22 countries, is eyeing to consolidate its business in the Europe as well as Australian as GWL provides products and services to these markets. “With GWL, we will be able to enhance our services in all the overseas market. Rising technical textiles sector offers huge opportunity for nonwovens – an area of focus for ICC for the last 6-7 years. At ITME, we are also highlighting the new service machine for nonwoven industry,” he stated.
At the trade fair, the company also displayed its latest high-speed carding solutions Prolyf Gold series, which offers products like cylinder wires, doffer wires, lickerin wire, flat tops, and stationary flats etc. “With modern carding machines coming in the market, productivity and life expectancy are expected to be more from the card clothing. ProLyf Gold series assures more longevity and consistent quality,” explained Ashok Pal.
According to him, market has started improving and he expects the demand to gain momentum in the coming months.
Rabatex expects 20-22% CAGR growth for the next 10 years
Rabatex Industries Pvt Ltd – which was presented with the most prestigious technology award of India ITME Society in weaving category – showcased its R&D capabilities and innovative products in warp preparatory, fabric sampling solution and material handling & storage equipment segments at ITME 2022. Rabatex is also the first Indian company to introduce a complete sampling solution for the textile industry. “Today, we are one of the leading manufacturers of sectional warping machines. Besides, we offer value-added products like complete fabric sampling solutions, material handling solutions, automatic storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), etc. We have more than 65 per cent share in the domestic market and export to more than 36 countries,” informed Haresh Panchal, Director, Rabatex Industries Pvt Ltd.
Speaking about the sampling machine market, he said, “We are displaying at ITME, small width sample weaving machine which are used by garment manufacturers (small as well as big) because they require this machine to make sample product to test market before garment makers start large-scale production. We have been developing this product for the last three years, as Indian customers had to depend on imported machine. With the launch of our machine, we have been able to capture a sizeable share in the market (Indian as well as overseas).”
Rabatex emphasis on continuous innovation and indigenous technology development has helped it achieve a leadership position in the market. “All products of Rabatex are Industry 4.0, which helps our customers to increase their productivity as they can take critical decisions with respect to maintenance, production, quality, etc. At present, our focus is on developing innovative products in the automatic storage and retrieval systems segment,” commented Haresh Panchal.
The Government of India (GoI) is aiming to increase India’s GPD to $ 5 trillion in the next 5-6 years. Recognising the importance of textiles, GoI has taken various measures like PLI scheme, incentives for technical textiles, etc to promote the industry. He added, “Every industry will have to grow multifold for India to emerge as a $5-trillion economy. At present, Indian textile industry is dominated by apparels segment. However, huge investments are coming in technical textiles in the next 10 years. We see big opportunity in this segment as the government initiatives will help the industry to achieve the goal of our Prime Minister to make India a $ 5-trillion economy. We work very closely with technical textile projects as we have expertise in application area.”
Speaking about export opportunities and growth plans, Haresh Panchal said, “Last year, exports contributed 26 per cent to our turnover. This year, we are targeting 38 per cent of revenues to come from overseas markets. In the long run, we expect exports to contribute 50 per cent to our business. We are working on our expansion plans for the future. Rabatex aims to become a global player in terms of innovative products and we expect 20-22 per cent CAGR growth for the next 10 years.”
Perfect Equipments: Creating value from waste
The Ahmedabad-based Perfect Equipments Pvt Ltd – known for offering machineries for blow room, carding and textile waste recycling – highlighted its technological prowess in waste recycling at ITME 2022. “Presently, majority of recycled textile fibre are used in home textile and lower-end applications. We are focusing our efforts to use regenerated fibres again into wearables, thus offering big business opportunity as market for wearables is huge. This will help in achieving the goals of circular economy. We have already installed a few machines at our customers’ sites which are giving good results,” informed B Sankar, General Manager (Tech & Development), Perfect Equipments Pvt Ltd.
Textile recycling has a huge potential as developed countries (particularly in Europe) are forcing textile brands to incorporate certain amount of post-consumer waste (regenerated fibres) in their end-products (apparel/garments). This is opening up exports market for the company. “We have already exported machines to Europe. We are exploring other markets for recycling machine. At this expo, we have received orders for 2 projects in Bangladesh, where we have already supplied to few customers,” he added.
Perfect Equipments is also focusing on technology to open nonwoven trim waste. “While making nonwoven fabric, trim waste is generated. As there was no affordable technology available in India, people were throwing this waste. We offer technology to open this trim waste and use it along with virgin material,” opined Sankar.
Perfect Equipments had displayed samples of recycled materials at ITME 2022, which attracted a lot of attention from the visitors. The company showcased overhead travelling cleaner (in collaboration with Magitex) and carding machines of Bonino, Italy. Besides, the company displayed its automatic cot grinding, which has 11 international patents, at ITME. “The speed of production of this automatic cot grinder is more than double that of presently available machines in the market,” he said.
Besides recycling, Perfect Equipments, which is expanding its capacity to meet the growing demand for its products, is eyeing to tap technical textiles market. “We are working on developing machinery for technical textiles and also exploring opportunity to work with Bonino for offering solutions for technical textiles. We expect projects from technical textile to come our way as well,” added Sankar.
Himson showcases high-end texturing machine for MMF
Textile machinery maker Himson Engineering Pvt Ltd – the flagship company of the Himson Bhogibhai Group – showcased its high-end, latest texturing machine at ITME 2022. With the experience of more than five decades, Himson Engineering is one of the leading manufacturers of draw texturing machines used for processing synthetic yarn to make draw textured yarn (DTY). Speaking to ITJ, Darshan Bachkaniwala, Director, Himson Engineering Pvt Ltd, said, “Himson Engineering has been a pioneering in draw texturing machines focusing on manmade fibres (MMF). Today, the company, through its collaboration with global partners, offers machines for air texturing yarn (ATY) and draw texturing yarn (DTY). At ITME, we are introducing more advanced versions of products for improving quality of MMF. We have started fancy yarn making machine which is a combination of different types of yarn. We want to serve the niche as well as fancy yarn markets with our texturing machines.”
The government of India is promoting the growth MMF value chain, which augurs well for the company. “For expanding exports of MMF, companies need to improve the quality of MMF yarns for which good quality texturing machines are required. With our expertise in the texturing machinery, Himson Engineering is well poised to support the growth of Indian MMF industry in the overseas market,” he said.
Realising the need for sustainability, many companies are setting up units for making yarns from recycling poly-flakes. This also presents a good opportunity for Himson for growth. “Our machines are ideal for processing recycled yarns. This way we help reduce waste and make valuable contribution to save environment. For yarn makers, it makes a business sense as many textile brand owners prefer to use recycled yarn in the products to achieve their sustainability goals,” informed Darshan Bachkaniwala.
Speaking about the future plans, he said, “At present, 20 per cent of our products are exported to countries like USA, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Korea, etc. We intend to increase the share of exports with the launch of new machines. We have recently increased our manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand. We want to grow in terms of the number of spindles that we supply. We are also increasing our range of high-end machines with value added features. Thus, we want to grow our business by increasing quantity as well as quality (value) of our spindles.”
Kusters Calico showcases novel wet finishing solutions
Kusters Calico Machinery Pvt Ltd displayed some of its new machinery and equipment for textile wet finishing at ITME 2022. “We are highlighting latest developments of Kusters Calico at ITME. We have introduced newly designed bleaching lines which save water and reduce electricity consumption. We have successfully installed six such bleaching lines recently. In additions, we have developed a new singeing machine having large width,” explained Sushil Verma, Managing Director, Kusters Calico Machinery.
The company offers integrated technology for textile wet processing comprising singeing, mercerizing, bleaching, dyeing, washing, finishing padder, technical textiles, etc. He said, “In India, all the major textile companies are our customers. About 60 per cent of our business comes from exports.”
Kusters Calico Machinery is also looking to expand its customer base by focusing on the knitting segment. “The company has a strong presence in the woven market and now we want to grow our business in knits. While we have already supplied washing machine and padders for knits, we are now working on supplying other lines as well. By the end of 2023, we expect to come out with a complete knits line,” informed Sushil Verma.
On Kusters Calico’s performance, he said, “In 2022, we are doing much better than 2021 because of our diversified product range and export markets. With the addition of new products, we expect more markets to open for us. In 2022, we added the fifth shed to our plant. From 2018 to 2022, we have increased our installed capacity by 50 per cent. Looking at the demand, we are planning to add one more shed in the near future.”
Moksha presents pioneering solutions for yarn carriers
Moksha Thermoplastics Pvt Ltd, one of the largest manufacturers of hi-tech specialised yarn carriers in India, presented its slim range of tubes at ITME 2022. “We are specialised in high accuracy auto doffing tubes. Moksha has big stake in plastic die cheeses, which are sold with the yarns. We have an expertise in manufacturing slim line tubes. At ITME, we are showcasing slimmed tubes in thermoplastics in the world. We have 1 mm thickness tube which is weighing 14-15 gms (when made from carbon fibre). These products are used to segregate yarn in the industry,” informed Snehal Shah, Chairman, Moksha Thermoplastics.
Yarn carriers, over the decades, have become more automatic and automation is the need of the hour. He said, “While earlier we were producing 10 per cent automatic doffing tubes, now 95 per cent of our products are for auto doffing machines. We have also collaborated with machinery manufacturers to develop new designs and features to give it better utility.”
Moksha Thermoplastics exports approximately 40 per cent of our production, mostly to Asian and African countries. Elaborating on the company’s future plans, Snehal Shah said, “There are lots of new products in our line-up. One of them is card cans, which we want to be differently designed with more simplified operations, but precise. We would like to use our engineering expertise in yarn carriers to develop good quality card cans as well. Besides, we plan to start a new production plant next year for single use cones, which we expect to replace paper cones. Projection is to produce 500,000 cones a day.”
Weavetech features IoT enabled machines at ITME
The Surat-based Alidhra Weavetech Group (Weavetech) – one of the leading suppliers of indigenously designed weaving and twisting machinery – displayed multiple machines enabled with latest automation features at ITME 2022. “Weavetech is a leading manufacturer of twisting and winding machines focusing on the filament segment. In the last couple of years, we have also entered the spun segment. IoT based features of our machines help the users to improve productivity of the machine as well as the operator. For ease of operation, we have launched Operator Smart Watch for improving their productivity and helping the company to evaluate the efficiency of the operators, which incentivises good operator behavior,” informed Chintan Thumar, Director, Alidhra Weavetech Group.
At ITME, Weavetech introduced machines with new features to tap some of the booming segments of the industry. He said, “We are launching a few technologies like spun twisting with IoT (Industry 4.0) connectivity. Besides, we are showcasing for the first time fancy twisters, which will give weavers competitive advantage like creating more fancy yarns and fabrics. We are also introducing one machine for technical textiles for large package twisting. One of the troubling processes (in the production of technical textiles) is twisting yarns. We are one of the few companies in the world who has been able to develop twisting solutions for high-tenacity yarns, which is very useful for the development of the technical textiles industry in the country.”
Weavetech is also offering eco-friendly solutions for the industry. “One of our product ranges is the electric infrared heating yarn sizing machines. Sizing is normally done through steam or coal fired boilers, which cause environmental issues and require government certificate for operations. Our machines use electricity and infrared to generate heat for sizing; thus eliminating pollution,” said Chintan Thumar.
Sharing his views on the industry outlook, he said, “At present, the industry is very conservative in terms of investment. We believe once PLI 2 scheme, which will hopefully be aimed at SMEs and small scale investments, is launched, there will be a sudden boom in investments. In the coming years, our focus will be on domestic market and adding IoT (Industry 4.0) features on our machines, which will help the users’ to improve their productivity and provide them a competitive edge in the market.”
MSB presents energy-efficient belts
Mangal Singh Brothers Pvt Ltd (MSB) – a leading player in transmission belts, textile machinery & spares, and cots & aprons – showcased its high-quality, energy-efficient belting & power transmission solutions at ITME 2022. Susheel Sheth, Business Head, Mangal Singh Bros Pvt Ltd, elaborated, “MSB has two business units – trading and manufacturing. We import & distribute transmission belts of some of the leading global brands in India. These transmission belts find application in various stages of textile industry, i.e. from yarn manufacturing to the finishing process. We also manufacture cots & aprons in technical collaboration with a Japanese firm, Kureha Elastomer. We supply our products to all the leading OEMs of the textile machinery sector.”
He added, “At ITME, we are displaying new energy-efficient belts, which provide higher power and have better load carrying capacity. Also, on the display are new generation cots & aprons for airjet spinning, compact spinning, texturising, etc.”
Mangal Singh Brothers is a market leader in the field of high-quality power transmission belting such as timing belts, Vee belts, flat belts, conveyor belts and specialised textile machinery spares such as PU discs for texturising machines, and rubber fillet for looms from world market leaders in Japan and Europe.
On growth plans, Susheel Sheth said, “We have added a new portal for our business of products like timing pulleys, gears, etc. We are also planning to increase our manufacturing capacity by 30 per cent in the next financial year.”
Elgi Electric unveils new company logo
The Coimbatore-headquartered Elgi Electric & Industries Ltd, a provider of engineering solutions for textile and motor industries, launched its brand new company logo and novel automated products at ITME. “Elgi Electric has motor and textile machinery divisions. For the textile industry, we offer products such as overhead traveling cleaner, yarn conditioning system, bobbin transport system, etc. At this trade fair, we are officially launching two products – a yarn conditioning system and novel overhead traveling cleaner, which we have already patented. Response to these two products has been very good at this event,” informed Sumanth Ramamurthi, CMD, Elgi Electric & Industries Ltd.
V S Balasubramanian, the company’s VP Operations, added, “Elgi Electric, the world’s leading manufacturer of overhead cleaner, has been instrumental in bringing together the latest concept in the allied machinery area. We are working towards bringing in new generation of products and these two new products are a first step in that direction. With industry moving towards automation, we need conditioning system which fits in the automatic cone transportation system. With our new system, which can handle cones in the form of pallets, we can do online conditioning; thus, resulting in a lot of savings in terms of time and labour.”
According to him, Elgi Electric always thinks of how to bring ease and comfort to its stakeholders. “Our aim is to help spinning mills to increase their productivity by using our products,” he said.
Speaking about market demand, Sumanth Ramamurthi said, “Though there is slowdown at present, we are seeing investments being made in North India. We expect the markets to improve further in the coming months. We are targeting to increase our export contribution from the present 20 per cent to 50 per cent of our turnover.”
Balasubramanian added, “China is vacating low-value segments in the textile industry, presenting big opportunities for spinners in the other countries (including India). To tap this opportunity, Indian spinners will have to expand capacity. With increase in scale of operations in spinning segment, automation will be a must. This is the reason why we are working towards adding more automated, smart features to our product range.”
Rimtex showcases pioneering technologies for spinners
Rimtex Industries – one of the leading spinning can manufacturers in the world – unveiled a wide range of new products that will lead the developments in the spinning industry in 2023 and beyond. Talking about the highlights of the company’s stall at ITME 2022, Gaurav Parmar, Director, Rimtex Industries, said, “We are showcasing some new products for the textile industry at ITME in all our product categories such as new combination technology for The X-Axis rings and travellers, two new Kalpar Castors wheels for spinning cans, two new sliver can models (Duo and Sumo), and new designs of trolleys for material handling. Besides, we are introducing two models of electric vehicles for intra-facility mobility – Tango RX1 (for transportation of cans and other products) and Tango DX1 (for winding machines). At ITME, we are also showcasing intelligent sliver management system Wizcan, which has generated immense response globally after it was introduced at ITMA 2019 Barcelona.”
The world is witnessing massive changes in global consumer behaviour, so it is only imperative that the textile industry backed by the spinning mills orient itself to the needs of the contemporary market demands. Rimtex, with its basket of innovations, is well-positioned to aid spinners to step into the realm of spinning mill 4.0. “Quality and innovation are the core value of the company. Rimtex believes in giving high-quality products to the spinning industry to help them become competitive in the marketplace,” stated Gaurav Parmar.
With its new range, Rimtex once again showed its commitment to provide the spinning mills with technology that will help them enhance the value of yarn and improve the efficiency of textile spinning machines.
Sheeba Enterprise presents spares for dyeing needs
The Ahmedabad based Sheeba Enterprise – a known name for manufacturing of carriers and accessories for yarn and fibre dyeing in textile industry – showcased its complete range of spares required for the textile industry. “The company specialises in spares and exports to over 52 countries across the world. Highlight of our stall at ITME 2022 is the recently launched zero leakage gravity locks, which have received good response from Indian a well as international markets,” commented Anthony Xavier, Director, Sheeba Enterprise.
Sheeba Enterprise offers carriers, dyesprings and accessories for yarn dyeing machines in stainless steel. “Exports account 30-40 per cent of our turnover. The demand for our products remains strong and we have received good response at ITME,” he added.
Jindal Rectifiers showcases intelligent stabiliser
Jindal Rectifiers – which specialises in the design, engineering & manufacturing of varied energy-efficient equipment – showcased for the first time its intelligent stabiliser at ITME. “We supply voltage stabilisers for various textile applications like spinning, weaving, etc. Spinning machines are quiet sensitive and require stable voltage, which we ensure with our products. Intelligent voltage controller (IVC) is definitely the highlight of our stall at ITME 2022. Customers can upgrade their existing Jindal stabilisers to IVC. We are also offering finance scheme for SMEs for capital intensive product like stabiliser,” stated Mayank Pandey, DGM – Marketing, Jindal Rectifiers.
Jindal Rectifiers is one of the leading manufacturers of industrial voltage stabilisers and silicon power rectifiers in South Asia. Its diverse product range covers industrial automatic voltage controllers, silicon power rectifiers and variable voltage transformers.
Speaking about future plans, he said, “We have developed an IoT version of stabiliser, which can be controlled, monitored and analysed remotely. The product, which offers the benefit of predictive maintenance, is undergoing pilot test and we expect to launch it commercially by March 2023.”
Amritlakshmi displays indigenous technologies
At ITME 2022, Amritlakshmi Machine Works – a well known name in the area of yarn preparation – displayed its latest range of indigenously developed machines such as direct warpers, sizing machines, sectional warpers, etc that enhance the productivity for the user. “At this trade fair, we are showcasing our upgraded machines which save time & money and give the customers better production. We are probable the only company to offer machines for cotton, filament and jute yarns,” commented N K Brahmachari, Managing Partner, Amritlakshmi Machine Works.
The company is known for many firsts in the textile industry. “We were first to offer zero twist sizing machines, high-speed machines, etc in India. Companies select us because of the knowledge that we bring to the table for the textile industry. I am a manufacturer cum consultant. Once we are given an order of the project, we take complete responsibility of delivering the desired results from the machines as per our customer’s requirements,” he elaborated.
Speaking about the industry, he said, “India is far ahead (compared to other emerging countries) when it comes to developing new systems, machines, etc. The earlier policy of the government to incentivise second-hand machinery import has hurt the Indian industry’s growth as it discouraged investment in new machines. Things are changing now for better. We need to spend more time on improving post-sales services.”
Brahmachari added, “Automation should be used to increase the efficiency of the machine. Our objective has been to produce machines that provide improved quality at higher speed. We have been consistently improving our product range to suit the customer’s requirements of today and the future.”
RMP Bearings showcases tailor-made products for textiles
RMP Bearings Ltd – the Ahmedabad based manufacturer of industrial and automotive bearings – displayed innovative bearings tailor-made for textile applications.
“We have expanded our portfolio of OEMs in automotive as well as textiles over the years. We entered the textile bearings market in 1983. In textiles, we mainly offer products for spinning, blow room, and ring frame machines. We supply to most of the leading global OEMs. We are also present in aftermarket with more than 100 textile distributors,” stated Miten Makwana, Managing Director, RMP Bearings Ltd.
At ITME, the company launched plastic Jockey Pulley for textile application. “This lightweight Jockey Pulley does not need re-greasing frequently. It reduces overall weight, maintenance and downtime of the machine. It is easy to use and helps in smooth and quiet operations of the machine,” he added.
About 25 per cent of our business comes from the textile industry and this business is growing consistently. “Our Order book is packed till December 2024. As part of our expansion plans, we are adding 12 grinding machines on the shop floor for the production of spherical and shaft bearings, spinning jockey pulley, etc. We are also in process of expanding our bottom roller bearings range,” said Miten Makwana elaborating on the company’s expansion plans.
Nanotek highlights fully automated solutions
The Faridabad-based Nanotek Controls Pvt Ltd, which offers machines & automation solutions for polyester as well cotton fabric dyeing, showcased fully automated dyeing machine at ITME. “We manufacture machines and automation solutions in-house. Our machines are suitable for all types of fabric, require less liquor and has many automation features,” stated R G Gupta, Director, Nanotek Controls Pvt Ltd.
While Nanotek produces automation products & solution, the Surat based Vigora Machine Works – a unit of Nanotek – manufactures dyeing machines. “Automation reduces wastage (raw material as well as energy), raises quality and increases efficiency, which results in savings for the customers. We develop automation solutions (PLC controllers) for customers in process industries. After Covid, we are seeing huge surge in demand for automation from textile industries. We are planning to double our manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand,” he informed.
On future plans, Gupta said, “We want to expand our footprint pan India – directly or through channel partners – to grow our business. We are focusing our attention to offer customised automation solutions to the customers so that they can maximise the benefits. We are also collaborating with a Pune-based boiler manufacturer to make their products fuel efficient. While Nanotek is already exporting automation products, now we also want to explore overseas markets for our machines.”
Pap-Tech displays novel shiner calenders
Pap-Tech Engineers & Associates – which provides calenders, rolls and quality testing instruments for the textile industry – presented its latest shiner calenders for textiles at ITME. “We are in the field of shiner calender, which is used to give smoothness and gloss to fabric. These calenders are very important for manufacturing high-quality fabric,” commented V K Agarwal, CEO, Pap-Tech Engineers & Associates. The company is an exclusive authorised representative of Beaujady Trading Co Ltd – an export subsidiary of GG Liegen Calender Rollers, China – in India.
Talking future plans, he said, “For Indian textile industry to grow faster, it has to increase exports. Our machines help the industry to raise the quality of their textile products; thus helping them increase exports. While earlier demand for shiner calenders was mainly from big companies, now all companies are asking for it because of its quality, which is paramount for success in the marketplace. We have already sold 120 calenders in India for textile application and are targeting for 400 calendars in the next five years.”
Peass displays novel winding machines at ITME
Peass Industrial Engineers Pvt Ltd presented its latest range of winding machines at ITME 2022. “We are one of the leading players in winding machines. Exports account for about 40 per cent of our business. Over the years, we have graduated from common drive machine to individual drive machines, and make precision winding machines (suitable for spun as well as filament). In general, auto doffing is gaining traction (considering the issues of labour constraints) in the textile industry. At ITME, we have displayed auto doffing on winding machines (both on precision and drum winding) and full tension-controlled machines. We have got response to these machines so far,” stated Mangesh Chaudhari, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Peass Industrial Engineers Pvt Ltd.
Speaking about the market, he said, “Market is down at present. After speaking to people at this trade fair, we get a feeling that companies are ready to invest, but are waiting to see some signs of improvement. At present, it will be difficult to forecast the future demand because of the global uncertainty. We can, at most guess estimate, for the market to pick up in the next 3-6 months.”
Savio Texcone showcases high-quality paper cones
Savio Texcone, the manufacturer and exporter of paper cones, showcased high-strength paper cones in innovative designs for the spinning industry at the trade fair. The company offers paper cones of neat and polished finish and that are resistant to steaming/autoclaving. “We are manufacturing paper cones as per the crushing strengthen (CS) of the cone. We offer paper cones that have more than 200 crushing strength which can last longer. Crushing strength denotes load bearing capacity of the cone; higher CS means longer life. It also allows to wind more yarns on the cone; thus resulting in cost saving for the customer,” informed Ashok Chharia, MD, Savio Texcone Pvt Ltd.
The company manufactures innovative products which have helped it to enter new markets such as technical textiles, worsted yarn, woolen yarn and polypropylene yarn. The ability to deliver all types of customised solutions at an economical price has also enabled Savio Texcone to export in all the six continents.
Speaking about growth plans, he said, “Though the market, at present, is dull, we expect it to improve in the coming months. Many spinning mills are looking to expand capacity, which will generate more business of us. We are also planning for expansion and adding new products like moulded cones.”
Bajaj Industries unveils ZUVON brand at ITME
The Kolkata-based Bajaj Industries Pvt Ltd, known for manufacturing pins and pin products, launched its ZUVON brand at ITME 2022. “Traditionally, we have been manufacturing pin and pin products for a range of fibres – mostly for spinning preparation, but also for other processes. Earlier majority of our sales used to come from pins, but now pin products account for a major share in our business. We have been developing pin products for various applications such as cotton, recycling, long-fibres, etc, under different brands. Now, we have decided to bring everything under one umbrella of ZUVON range of pin products with enhanced features, better fitments & metallurgy. Gradually, we will move all our earlier brands under ZUVON and will have a coherent branding strategy,” explained Pankaj Bajaj, Director, Bajaj Industries Pvt Ltd.
Speaking about the market demand, he said, “At present, market is very tight as the demand is low. There are bright spots like people are willing for recycling due to high cotton yarn prices. With circular economy gaining moment, Bajaj Industries is geared to tap the recycling market with its innovative solutions. In the long run, the future for our company is bright.”
DH Textile offers novel processing machines
The Ahmedabad-based DH Textile Engineering showcased its novel range of textile processing machinery and spares for nonwovens and technical textiles at the trade fair. “At ITME 2022, we are highlighting the prototype of four-cylinder vertical drying range, along with our other machines. We have installed over 100 machines all over India so far,” said Kush Panchal, Director, DH Textile Engineering.
DH Textile Engineering – one of the main stainless steel fabricators and predominantly an OEM provider to worldwide material apparatus producers – manufactures products such as vertical drying range machine, size cooking vessel, guide rollers, and cylinders.
Speaking about future plans, he said, “We will eyeing for exports mainly for machines and we recently executed our first export order. For the next five years, we will be focusing on developing innovative small textile processing machinery, which will be cost-effective for the processing houses.”
Airverclean highlights novel air cleaning solution
AVC Industrial Sales Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based Airverclean Pte Ltd, presented novel air cleaning system for textile applications at ITME. “Airverclean is known for its air cleaning solutions like electrostatic precipitator. These are manufactured by Polygee in China. We are highlighting here our Polygee BG 20K air purification system for textile industry. This equipment is extensively used in stenter for recovery of oil and heat,” stated Gaurav Seth, Director, AVC Industrial Sales Pvt Ltd.
Airverclean sees a huge market potential in India going forward. He explained, “We already have 12 installations in India. While regulations are stringent on smokes coming out of boiler, stenter smoke is still not noticed by the government authority. As environment control regulations become stricter, we see good prospects for our product. Out of 10,000 stenters in this country (which is as per an estimate five years ago), if even 10 per cent decides to install environment control system, it represents a big market for us.”
Jetstar showcases innovative textile printing solutions
The Surat-based Jetstar Innovations Pvt Ltd showcased cutting edge technologies in the field of textile printing at ITME 2022. “We are displaying, waterjet rotary screen stripping system at the trade fair, which is useful for textile printing. Rotary screens, made up of nickle metal, are reusable. Conventionally, acid, which damages the metal, is used for stripping and reusing the screen. Our waterjet screen stripping is more effective that the coventional stripping methods; thus rotary screens can be reused more number of times,” informed Mayank Misra, Director, Jetstar Innovations Pvt Ltd, while speaking about the company’s focus at ITME.
Carving a legacy out of innovation, Jetstar provides state-of-the-art technology in computer-to-screen (CTS) systems that help the textile industry flourish and keep ahead of the times. He added, “Today, customers are demanding quality products with improved performance. Hence, textile machinery makers have to invest in R&D for developing new products for the industry.”
Speaking about the response at ITME, Mayank Misra said, “It has been six years since the last ITME was held in Mumbai in 2016. Everybody was eagerly waiting for this trade fair and we are getting very good response for all Jetstar machines.”
Shrutex presents automated solutions
Shrutex International, which represents over 30 global companies in India, displayed automated solutions for the home textiles and other segments. “We supply machines for carpet, blanket and home textiles segments. We are displaying computerised table tufting machine, Magic Tuft, for manufacturers of home textiles, carpet, cushions, made-ups, etc. We have already received orders for this machine, which reduces the labour requirement and increases productivity & quality, at this trade fair,” said Utkarsh Garg, Director, Shrutex International.
Shrutex International offers a wide gamut of knitting machine, slitting machine, raschel machine, baling press machine, recycling machine, etc.
Paramount brings IIoT-enabled QC system to ITME
Paramount Instruments Pvt Ltd, a manufacturer of testing equipment for textile and other industries, presented its IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) enabled quality testing equipment at ITME. “Today’s informed consumer demand quality forcing companies to invest in high-end machines and testing instruments. This is helping us to grow faster. Our new IIoT enabled device not only raises the level of inspection, but also helps us serve our customers better in a quick time. IIoT is the future of quality control (QC),” informed Manjit Singh Saini, CEO & Technical Director, Paramount Instruments Pvt Ltd.
He added, “As part of our expansion plans, we are setting up new unit at Manesar (Haryana). Looking at the demand for our products, we will have to expand our capacity 3-4 times in the 2-3 years.”
Needles & Elements presents solutions for narrow fabrics
Needles & Elements India Pvt Ltd presented its novel solutions for narrow fabrics at ITME. “We are focusing on machinery for narrow fabrics like ribbons, laces, etc. At ITME, we are highlighting machines for laces and crochet fabrics. We are displaying upgraded machines with better features and productivity,” said Rajiv Jain, Director, Needles & Elements India Pvt Ltd.
Needles & Elements India supplies crochet machines, narrow looms, fancy yarn machines, high speed winders, braiding machines, covering machines etc. It collaborates with global companies like Taiwan Giu Chun, Ton Tun Corporation and Feihong Machinery.
Speaking about future plans, he said, “Market is dull at the moment as capacity utilisation in the textile industry is very low. As part of our growth plans, we are moving into certain products which are only developed by us for technical textiles, especially medical textiles. These are niche markets, which offer high growth opportunity of us because of our technical collaboration with Taiwan company.”
Kinex Bearings unveils authenticator app for bearings
The Slovak Republic based Kinex Bearings, now a part of the CK Birla group-owned National Engineering Industries Ltd (NEI), presented special bearings for textile applications. “We manufacture bearings for special applications in various industries. For textiles, we are focusing on open-end and semi-automatic rotor bearings. We have developed QR code based authenticator (a Kinex app), which helps customers to check the geninue Kinex products. We have also introduced low-cost rotors,” informed Alok Vatsraj, Sales & Marketing Manager (India & SE Asia), Kinex Bearings.
With more than 100 years of experience in engineering and bearing manufacturing, Kinex Bearings specialises in the production of special bearings for industries such as railways, textiles, automotive, water pumps, aviation, etc. The company’s special double-row ball bearings for textile machines are designed for high rotation frequencies and relatively low loads. They are characterised by high dimensional accuracy and operational reliability, which guarantees their high utility value. In January 2020, NEI acquired Kinex Bearings.
Speaking about the market, he said, “We are in India since 2017 and we have witnessed 100 per cent growth in the past 2 years. We will be closing the year 2022 with 100 per cent growth again. India is a big market and we expect to continue the growth momentum.”
MRL Group showcases specialised rollers at ITME
Modinagar Rolls Ltd Group (MRL Group), which offers rolls for various industries, showcased specialised rollers (made of rubber, PU, hard chrome plated and SS) for applications in the textile industry at ITME. “Rollers play a key role in any machine. Type of roller – to be used – depends upon the process requirement. This is the first time we are exhibiting at ITME 2022 and we are getting good response, especially for our SS rollers,” stated Vaibhav Agarwal, Director, MRL Group.
Founded in 1995, MRL Group is known for manufacturing rollers and delivering high-quality precision custom rolls along with a variety of repair and maintenance services to various industrial applications such as paper, steel, ply wood, etc. The company has four plants (three in Ghaziabad and one in Hyderabad) and is eyeing for pan India expansion. “In December 2022, we started the Hyderabad unit and we are planning to set up more units in other regions like Ahmedabad, Odisha, etc,” he stated.
