“ITM 2022 will Provide An Opportunity to Bring Our Latest Technology to Market”
Christian Lerch, Head of Jakob Müller International Sales and Marketing Department
Founded in Switzerland in 1887, Jakob Müller AG is the world’s leading company with regard to technology for the manufacture of woven and knitted tapes and webbing, woven ropes, woven labels and technical textiles, printed narrow fabrics, dyeing, make-up and winding machinery.
We interviewed Christian Lerch, Head of Jakob Müller International Sales and Marketing Department, for the “Swiss Special Section” in our Tekstil Teknoloji magazine. Giving information about the innovations and trends in narrow weaving machines, Lerch said, ” Our clear target is to play a leading role in terms of providing innovations amd solutions with regard to the production of sustainable narrow fabrics – in all segments of our industry.”
First of all, how was 2021 for Jakob Muller ? Can you evaluate the year 2021 in figures?
2021 has been a very challenging year in terms of supply chains and transport capacities, however we have well managed the conditions and therefore Jakob Müller Group has achieved its targets.
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 Jakob Muller in the last two years?
We have focused very strongly on the topics of digitalisation and sustainability on all levels within our Group.
What are the key trends you see emerging at the moment in the narrow fabric weaving machinery sector? What new innovations can one expect in weaving machines?
Important trends willl continue to be digitalisation and sustainability. Jakob Müller Group has created a new era in the processing of natural fibre yarns with the new MDW® technology for so called woven Velvedge® labels. This technology enables us to be the first company in the world processing 100% biodegradable yarns for the production of labels with slit edges. The production can be fully digitized by our browser based data acquisition and management software mymuenet®.
Furthermore we have already implemented a couple of years ago our digital service portal mymueller®, which provides our customers with specific company information, know-how and services online. Around the clock and around the world. This digital service portal is continously being enlarged.
What do you think to be the biggest challenges that our industry will face during the coming years?
The biggest challenges will be to find smart and sustainable ways to overome the effects arising from the Corona pandemic as well as the related bottlenecks in the supply chains.
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 Jakob Muller in this situation?
Our clear target is to play a leading role in terms of providing innovations amd solutions with regard to the production of sustainable narrow fabrics – in all segments of our industry.
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 2022 will be again the opportunity to meet our customers on a personal level in order to exchange experiences and to share the view on future trends. Moreover, ITM 2022 will give us a platform to present our latest technology with a direct feedback from the market.
Do you have new products or new technologies that you are planning to exhibit at the ITM 2022?
We will show our rapier weaving machine, type MÜGRIP® MBJ8 in a configuration with a jacquard monoblock with 2400 hooks. We have released this version during the pandemic and therefore ITM 2022 will be worldwide the first exhibition to present it.
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı