Indonesia-based fully integrated vertical textile company PT. Kahatex continues its journey by relying on BRÜCKNER technologies for nearly 30 years. In this process, they added 12 BRÜCKNER solutions to its manufacturing process, including the recently new BRUECKNER POWER-FRAME stenter. The company, founded in 1979 as a knitting and dyeing factory, today is one of the largest family-run textile companies in Southeast Asia, with three production sites, a turnover of 1 billion dollars and a total workforce of more than 55,000 employees.
PT. Kahatex, one of the largest manufacturers of woven and circular knitted fabrics in Indonesia, serves the markets in Asia, the USA and Europe with high-quality textiles certified according to GOTS, GRS, OCS and RCS. More than 40% of its products are exported directly to more than 80 countries worldwide. It currently develops and produces directly for world-renowned partners such as Adidas, H&M, New Balance, S.Oliver and C&A. Amongst some of their end products are garments, socks, gloves, yarns, fabrics, bordir, and plastic.
“The BRÜCKNER stenter frame is one of the best stenters in the world”
PT. Kahatex has a large finishing and confectioning department and first class laboratory facilities for each sector in addition to the large machinery park, which includes many spinning and weaving machines. The company bought the first stenter from BRÜCKNER already in 1987 and in the course of time a total of 12 BRÜCKNER stenter frames were added. PT. Kahatex Head of Department Finishing Febri Jansen described the reasons for this long-term cooperation as follows:
“The BRÜCKNER stenter frame is one of the best stenters in the world and we have trusted the quality of BRÜCKNER for decades. Our excellent and trustful cooperation with the market leader from Germany is characterized by excellent service and a fast reaction to our needs. Also, our customers appreciate this and expect their goods to be produced on BRÜCKNER machines.”
BRUECKNER POWER-FRAME stenter offers high drying performance and process control matching any type of fabric due to the technically mature and proven split-flow air circulation system. It also provides very homogeneous air flow and temperature distribution due to alternately arranged thermo zones (every 1.5m). Working widths up to 7m are possible, depending on the type of application, the stenter is available types of heating: gas direct, gas indirect, thermal oil, steam, electricity and combinations thereof.
Only Bluesign and Oeko-Tex approved chemicals are used in the finishing processes
PT. Kahatex, a member of Social GRS (Global Recycle Standard), GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and Higg Index, takes steps in terms of sustainability and ecological responsibility and plans to further intensify its efforts in the coming years. In order to produce cleaner products and at the same time not to produce harmful waste, only Bluesign and Oeko-Tex approved chemicals are used in the finishing processes. In addition, it was the first company to purchase and use the ‘Green Machine’, developed by the H&M Foundation and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), for separating cotton-polyester blends and thus recycling polyester in textiles.
In terms of social standarts, the company offeres its employees mosques, dormitories, clinics, canteens, daily drinking water, and sports and leisure centres. Employees are protected by police-certified security guards and the company’s own fire department with well-trained personnel and 5 certified fire engines. It also supports local and regional initiatives and institutions, providing clean drinking water in the surrounding villages and blood donation campaigns for the benefit of local clinics.
CEO of BRÜCKNER Group Regina Brückner stated that PT. Kahatex is for them a great example that textile quality in combination with ecological and social responsibility can be very successful worldwide, saying; “BRÜCKNER congratulates PT. Kahatex for its extraordinary success and is very proud of this long-lasting cooperation!”