“Visitors will Discover Everything New that We Have Developed Over the Past Three Years at ITM 2022”
Fritz Legler, Head of Marketing and Sales of Stäubli
We interviewed with Fritz Legler, Head of Marketing and Sales of Stäubli for our Special Issue of Carpet Industry and Technologies. Giving information about their newly launched ALPHA 560 UNIVERSAL, Legler made important statements about the problems facing the industry, the future plans of Stäubli and the ITM 2022 Exhibition.
During the pandemic process, companies focused on R&D and new product development. What are your new products and technologies that you have developed as Stäubli in the last two years especially in carpet machine?
We expanded our range of carpet weaving systems with the recently launched ALPHA 560 UNIVERSAL. We were planning to present this machine at the Domotex Hanover exhibition in January, but unfortunately this trade fair was cancelled. Our sales teams are very close to the market and stay in constant touch with our customers and partners, so some carpet weavers found out all about the new machine through them. Made by weavers, for weavers, the ALPHA 560 UNIVERSAL offers high economic efficiency.
What differentiates Stäubli Carpet Machines in an increasingly competitive market?
The name ALPHA 560 UNIVERSAL indicates one of the main points that differentiates this machine: its universality. Here it sets new standards. It offers high flexibility, allowing over 600 combinations of basic and pole bindings, and is designed for reed densities from 160 to 1,200 reeds. It handles up to 33,792 pile yarns and allows the use of up to 16 colors and 92 color combinations, while delivering the highest carpet quality, for instance, strikingly clean carpet backing and sharp, high-contrast carpet surfaces thanks to its new cutting knife fine grinding device for an incomparably good cut. These are just a few of the many good reasons to invest in this new carpet weaving system. Our sales teams will be glad to provide more information. Interested weavers are invited to contact our salespersons in Turkey or visit us at ITM or Domotex Gaziantep to learn more about the benefits of this newly developed machine.
What are the key trends you see emerging at the moment in the weaving machinery sector? What new innovations can one expect in carpet machines?
In the manufacturing industry there is a general trend toward semi-automation of machinery in order to achieve an overall smoother production process. The aim is to increase overall efficiency of the workflows. Here Industry 4.0 solutions like remote servicing are also gaining in importance. Machinery providers help customers help themselves. On the other hand, on the consumer side, we are seeing that trends in design and quality are becoming increasingly short-lived. This is where the ALPHA 560 UNIVERSAL offers decisive advantages. Its great flexibility in producing any kind of rug allows the carpet weaving mill to swiftly react to changing market demands.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenges that our industry will face during the coming years?
On the one hand, we might see consumer habits adapting in response to the global environmental situation, with consumer brands showing real ‘green’ behavior. On the other hand, geopolitical aspects will influence the industry more and more. The economic situation is getting less predictable, which will certainly have significant impact on the manufacturing industry and on consumers as well. Changes will be necessary, although the manner and intensity are not precisely measurable for the moment; but anyway, industrials will have to adapt in order to persist.
There’s a lot going on in the textile industry: digitalization, sustainability, the circular-fashion approach, traceability and much more. How do you see the role of Stäubli in this situation?
These subjects are vast. We already wrote about the green footprint of Stäubli many years ago – in short, some focus points. Stäubli machinery is made of first-class materials and with ingenious engineering, designed to withstand the challenging environment of weaving halls – notably, heat and dust – and to deliver maximum service life. All our production sites meet high standards in terms of environmental regulations, and our production processes allow us to track our performance. We are committed to maintaining the high quality standards we have set for ourselves. Regarding circular fashion, there is still a lot to do in general, and in every process step involved. Once old fabrics have been collected, there is still very much to do before weaving or knitting and reaching the end consumer. And once recycled fibers have been spun and filaments extracted, their particular behavior and properties remain a challenge throughout the entire production chain. This requires cutting-edge, adapted technologies. When it comes to weaving, Stäubli Textile is among the world’s leading providers for shed-opening solutions, including cam motions, dobbies and Jacquard machines for any application. Our machinery allows easy shed adjustment and maximum repeatability for precise and constant shed formation. This makes Stäubli machinery a highly appreciated solution, also for weaving fabrics for the circular fashion industry. And, who knows, maybe one day our Robotics division will become a player in the circular fashion industry as well! One can imagine many new fields of application popping up when it comes to high-performance mobile robot systems that work fully autonomously, with the ability to navigate a diverse array of working environments, gather their own materials, and then carry out the work. We shall see. Let’s remain optimistic about the future.
Which countries are you exporting to? What is the importance of the Turkish market for your company? Do you have any projects for the Turkish market?
Stäubli Textile is a global solution provider. Anywhere fabrics are woven, Stäubli is there, with technology like our shedding solutions for frame and Jacquard weaving that offer incomparably reliable shed formation even at the highest speeds – from China to India, Pakistan, the Americas, and the European continent. Turkey is one of the world’s major textile producers, and when you take into consideration the behavior of the main consumer markets, one can imagine that in the future, due to rising uncertainties and transportation costs when producing in Asian countries, the Turkish market could well see an increase. Stäubli is firmly established in Istanbul, where its headquarters house all four divisions of the Group: Electrical and Fluid Connectors, Robotics, and Textile. We also have representatives in the main production areas such as Bursa. The effectiveness of our organization was proven during the pandemic, as we remained in close contact with our customers, giving them the best possible support. This year we will be participating at the Domotex Gaziantep exhibition as well, staying in close touch with our customers who invest in ALPHA carpet weaving systems.
The ITM, which was postponed due to the pandemic, will be held after 4 years. Could you share with us your views on the ITM Exhibition, which will bring the textile machinery industry together after such a long break?
ITM is our chance to meet with customers in one of the main markets, and our team is looking forward to this show. Our network organization allowed us to remain close to our customers even in the past years, but this show will be an occasion to present examples from the entire range of solutions that Stäubli offers to the weaving and knitting industry – an occasion for visitors to get a relevant overview on machinery that brings even greater benefits to the mill.
Do you have new products or new technologies that you are planning to exhibit at the ITM 2022?
Yes, ITM 2022 in Turkey is an important platform for Stäubli to present our latest innovations featuring state-of-the-art technologies. Visitors will discover everything new that we have developed over the past three years. As a leading, fast moving technology provider, it is in our DNA to continuously develop further, to adapt to market needs in order to provide solutions that fit best the requirements of our customers. We are ready and can’t wait to exhibit once again and gather customers’ opinions and feedback on our solutions dedicated to the needs of the Turkish weaving industry.
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı
