In the global textile market, Swiss machinery manufacturers are known for their quality and efficient solutions. As members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association (swissmem), the umbrella organisation of the sector, the companies, direct the sector with the deep knowledge brought by their rooted experience and the developments they have revealed as a result of continuous research. They respond to the needs of the manufacturers at every point of the process, from tightening the first thread in the warp to winding the last inch for fabric delivery. At this point, Swiss companies meet the innovation, speed, efficiency, quality and sustainability requirements of all weaving markets and strengthen their leading position in the traditional weaving industry.
While fashion and functionality combined in the growing popularity of woven fabrics for shoes are emerging as a current and future trend, the developments pioneered by Swiss textile machinery companies stand out at this point.
It is possible to produce innovative multi-layers with Stäubli’s weaving systems
Today, the latest woven shoes are appreciated for their precise and comfortable fit. Thanks to their durabiliy, strength and stability, they meet the needs of individual athletes across many sports, as well as leisurewear. Stäubli is one of the leading global specialists in weaving preparation, shedding systems and high-speed textile machinery. Stäubli’s jacquard machines offer great flexibility in a wide range of formats, weaving all types of technical textiles, lightweight reinforcement fabrics and shoes. It also becomes possible to weave new materials such as ceramics, mix fibers such as aramid, carbon and other, and produce innovative multi-layers with variable thicknesses. Such applications put special demands on weaving machines which are fulfilled by Stäubli high-performance TF weaving systems.
Smart and collaborative robotics (cobots) offer many automation possibilities in weaving rooms. Stäubli’s future oriented robotics division is a driver in this segment with first effective installations in warp and creel preparation.
Functionality and sustainability at the forefront with Jakob Müller
Trends in the field of woven narrow fabrics are clearly focused on functionality and sustainability. The Jakob Müller Group has adopted these principles for a long time and uses natural fibers for 100% recyclable labels with a soft-feel selvedge. It also focuses as much as possible on the processing of recycled, synthetic materials. Both PET bottles and polyester waste from production are recycled and processed into elastic and rigid tapes for the apparel industry.
Perfect weaving results with Crealet’s electronic warp feeding systems
Thanks to Crealet’s world’s leading electronic warp feeding systems, it is possible to achieve perfect weaving results without warp tension. Some market segments in weaving industry today demand warp let-off systems which meet individual customer requirements. Crealet is moving forward by recognising the importance of expertise in understanding the often special processing requirement of geotextile products provided by its smart warp tension control system.
Individual and connective solutions are designed to allow external support via remote link. Crealet’s warp let-off systems are widely used in both ribbon and broadloom weaving, for technical textiles applied on single or multiple warp beams and creels.
The textile calculator from Jakob Müller
The concept of a ‘textile calculator’ was developed by Jakob Müller Group, in cooperation with the textile research institute Thuringen-Vogtland. Müller’s patented MDW® multi-directional weaving technology is able to create the meander fields which allow calculator functions to be accessed at a touch. A novel and useful facility, which suggests limitless expansion.
The latest generation of on-loom monitoring and inspection systems from Uster
For efficient fabric production environments, it is recognized that automated quality solutions are essential. Quality standards are increasing everywhere and zero-defect levels are mandatory for sensitive applications such as airbags and protective apparel.
Uster’s latest generation of on-loom monitoring and inspection systems offers real operational improvements for weavers. The fabric quality monitoring prevents waste, while the quality assurance system significantly improves first-quality yield for all applications. Protecting fabric makers from costly claims and damaged reputations, automated fabric inspection also removes the need for slow, costly and unreliable manual inspection, thus it allows operators to focus on higher-skilled jobs.
Special solutions for woven fabric winding from Willy Grob
Willy Grob’s specialised solutions for woven fabric winding focus on reliable control of tension, keeping it constant from the start of the process right through to the full cloth roll. Continuous digital control is especially important for sensitive fabrics, while performance and productivity are also critical advantages. In this regard, the company’s large-scale batching units can provide ten times the winding capacity of a regular winder integrated in the weaving machine. The customised concept by Grob as well as design and implementation result in great flexibility and functionality of the fabric winding equipment.