German textile machinery manufacturer Mahlo GmbH highlighted their development in Industry 4.0 and digitalization at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. Located in Hall 2 Stand C203, the company presented their new systems and solutions for efficient and high quality textile production and finishing. Focusing on three key points: weft straightening, textile process control and product quality measurement, the company put the mSmart concept with intelligent data management systems at the centre of the stand with the slogan ‘Gateway to Industry 4.0’.
Mahlo CEO Rainer Mestermann told Textilegence that despite the uncertain situation in the world market, they had very good and concrete negotiations during the fair and received new orders. “The attractive and modern presentation of Mahlo systems and machines has become a real magnet for visitors”, said Mestermann and he let known that there was a good mixture of visitors from many countries. Mestermann; “We had many Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Turkish visitors. We were surprised by the intensity of Italian visitors from the European market. We showed them that we are here to make them successful in their competitive business”.
In his market assessment of Turkey, Mestermann disclosed that the Turkish textile industry is positioned very well and he noted therefore that they expect an increase in demand for quality. Mestermann; “We believe that Turkish textile manufacturers need to focus more on quality and productivity in order to be successful and to sustain this success. We think that Mahlo can help the Turkish textile industry about these points”.
Mahlo digital innovations bring new opportunities
Rainer Mestermann stated that they focused on providing a complete portfolio at ITMA 2019, and continued saying; “We wanted to make a complete portfolio presentation. Therefore, we have divided the stand into certain sections; weft straightening corner, process control corner (mSmart) and denim corner. As a company, one of our new focus areas is data management. Because we think that digitalization and Industry 4.0 are a great model for the entire industry and Mahlo can deliver valuable solutions to our customers. That’s why our mSmart concept was at the heart of our stand”.
Fair visitors were able to visit the mSmart control room at the Mahlo stand and get detailed information from experts about the new mLog data logging and analysis software and the new supervisory software mPilot, which remotely controls up to 10 Mahlo machines. The company’s new digital data management system records data. This data can then be retrieved as desired to optimize the process and minimize weak points in production. Visitors were also able to test measurement data saved, logged and evaluated in the mSmart control room. Real-time data of all displayed machines were collected here, so that any changes to a machine could be observed instantly and online.
Innovation in weft straightening and textile process control
Mahlo is well-known in the textile industry especially for weft straightening and process control systems, and participated in the fair with significant innovations in these areas. The outstanding features of the Mahlo solutions are their modular structure, which facilitates efficiency and ease of use. Rainer Mestermann emphasized that Orthopac RVMC-15; a new generation system that combines weft straightening and process control, improves quality and saves resources and energy. With this solution, Mestermann said that all processes in the finishing line can be optimized. Furthermore the web gauging and control system Qualiscan QMS-12 was also displayed at the stand. Mestermann; “This solution measures, logs and controls critical process parameters over the entire process including grammage, coating weight, moisture and layer thickness. In this way, raw material savings, improved productivity and product quality are obtained reduced waste production”.
Mahlo’s other solutions for the textile industry were; the weft straightening system Orthomax RFMB-15, Patcontrol PCS-15 for pattern control, and Famacont PMC-15 controlling weft thread and mesh density. Solutions that contribute to high quality textile production and finishing proved their performance by working during the fair.
A special corner for Denim
Particularly for heavy fabrics such as denim, technical textiles and extra wide fabrics, a separate space was allocated at the Mahlo stand. In this special area called Denim-Corner, they focused on solutions developed for rugged fabrics. Mahlo responds to design and functionality requirements for denim; which has an ever increasing popularity in the textile and fashion industry with their new heavy-duty, high-performance weft straighteners.
Rainer Mestermann said that in addition to the proven and market leading Mahlo straighteners; the displayed concept study Orthopac GXRVMC-15 has been designed to control; even the heaviest products precisely and quickly, something unprecedented for the denim industry. Stating that they always follow the market trends in their R&D activities, Mestermann added that feedback from the market concerning this technology will be decisive for the further promotion of the product.
A journey through Mahlo history ‘Museum Corner’
In ITMA 2019, one of the most interesting corners of the Mahlo stand was the ‘museum’ corner; where the company emphasized their corporate history and family heritage. Here the 74-year-old company’s founder Dr. Heinz Mahlo’s table and office was redecorated. Visitors showed great interest to take souvenir photos in this corner.