Pentek Textile Machinery, an expert in textile equipment and technologies regarding the preparation and finishing segments, highlighted its focus on innovation once again with its up-to-date solutions at ITMA 2023. The company’s core theme was sustainability, in line with that of the exhibition, and the technologies in its booth reflecting the current market demands. As Textilegence, we talked with Pentek International Business Developer Mauro Mare about the company’s experience at ITMA 2023 and the market situation.
Mare said that there has been a really enthusiastic and unexpected participation at their booth during the exhibition by underlining the quality of attendance, about 80% of the visitors were seriously interested in their technologies. Noting that they attracted great attention with their new design concept of the booth, where they duplicated what the customers are used to do in their own exhibitions, he stated: “The core business of Pentek has always been creating something that does not exist before. So, we presented our new solutions as well as our new concepts of existing machines at ITMA 2023.” Despite the overall positive atmosphere at ITMA, Mare added that there was a limitation in terms of participation from Asian regions such as Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan due to geopolitical challenges and global economic issues.
Pentek supports its sustainability claims with certifications and case studies
Mentioning Pentek’s contributions to sustainability in the textile industry, Mauro Mare said that their commitment to reduce energy, water, and chemical consumption was evident in their product offerings. Mare gave a first example of Wanny washing range, underlining that the new Active Wash concept, through the innovative back-and-forth motion, performs a unique washing power, thus reducing water consumption; furthermore, multiple water recoveries within the machine further minimize water waste. He also pointed out chemical usage in textiles, saying: “Pentek’s processes significantly decrease chemical requirements along with water compared to conventional methods from 40% to 60% on average. Green labels, certifications and case studies substantiate our claims. Wanny technology attracted significant interest due to its unique ability to perform – in continuous mode – processes till now only available in discontinuous equipment, such as optical brightening, bleaching, biopolishing, reduction bath.”
Mare disclosed that additionally, they introduced a revolutionary dryer called K-Booster, maximizing drying efficiency in a compact space (2 meters), reducing energy consumption and underlined the features of the newcomer, Geyser steamer: “We also showcased the new Geyser steamer with savings of steam ranging from 40% to 60% compared to current market options. Our focus on reducing resource consumption and improving efficiency reflects our commitment to sustainability.”
“The most challenging part in sustainable transformation is changing the traditional mindset”
As an answer to our question about the challenges in sustainable transformation, Mauro Mare emphasised the importance of changing the mindset by sharing his views as follows: “The first challenge is shifting from the traditional mindset of incremental improvements to revolutionary changes in sustainability. This shift requires a change in mentality and a willingness to venture into uncharted territory. The second challenge lies in business models. We argue for a change in mentality and a shift toward collaborative business network models that gather expertise from various sectors, including engineering, chemistry, and textiles, to create holistic solutions for sustainability.”
“Our turnover is reaching five million euros in Türkiye”
Talking about the current market changes, Mauro Mare commented: “70% of the fabrics are manufactured in Asia. In line with that, Asia’s share is 64% of our exports, but the trend is changing because of all well-known geopolitical problems. It is definitely a transition period which has to land a new worldwide balance to ensure a market recovery. I think the trend is way back to go to other countries and even to come back to Europe, more and more: Türkiye in all this still is one of our best markets. This year, our turnover will reach almost five million euros in Türkiye.”
Mare stated that Pentek sees great potential for Türkiye in the textile industry and concluded: “While Türkiye has excelled in manufacturing, Pentek encourages a shift toward innovation and process refinement to create a unique Turkish identity in the industry. And we are here to provide tools and know-how.”