“ITM 2024 will Create New Opportunities for Growth in Textile Machinery Industry”
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı
Andreas Wirz, CEO of Crealet said; “ By bringing together companies, experts and decision-makers, ITM 2024 will help promote dynamism and innovation in the textile machinery sector and potentially open up new opportunities for growth.”
We interviewed with Andreas Wirz, CEO of Crealet, one of the leading companies in the development and production of electronic warp feeding systems for both wide and narrow fabric weaving processes for the ‘Swiss Textile Machinery Industry’ special issue of our Tekstil Teknoloji magazine. Evaluating 2023, Wirz said that they increased their sales and had a successful year. ” With our planned exhibition and personal presence at ITM 2024, we have a unique opportunity to attract the interest of potential customers in Turkey and open up new business opportunities” said Wirz, adding that Turkey’s active presence in technical textile production offers them an excellent opportunity to position their services and products in this market. Other highlights of the interview are as follows:
“2023 was Quite Successful with A Significant Increase in Sales Compared to the Previous Year”
2023 was extremely successful, with a significant increase in sales compared to the previous year. This increase is the result of growing customer demand for increased optimisation and automation of the warp feeding process, taking into account sustainability aspects. This trend reflects a major shift towards intelligent warp feeding technology. These investments enable mills to significantly improve quality, efficiency and productivity.
“Turkey, which Plays an Active Role in Technical Textile Production, Offers Us an Excellent Opportunity”
Our main markets are Europe, the USA and Asia. Our customers are mainly involved in the production of technical textiles. Europe is an important market for technical textiles and has a diversified industry operating in sectors as diverse as automotive, construction, aerospace, medical and sports. We can capitalise on the strong demand for high quality technical textiles and innovative solutions in this market, particularly in countries such as Germany, France, Italy and the UK.
The USA is also a large market for technical textiles. With a growing focus on sustainability and advanced materials, the US also offers opportunities for our innovative solutions. Asia is a dynamic and fast-growing market for technical textiles, particularly in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India. The increasing demand for high quality technical textiles offers us opportunities for growth and expansion.
The fact that Turkey is also active in the production of technical textiles provides us with an excellent opportunity to position our services and products in this market. With our planned exhibition and personal presence at ITM 2024, we have a unique opportunity to attract the interest of potential customers in Turkey and open up new business opportunities.
“Our Remote Access Products Significantly Reduce the Number of Technicians and Emissions”
Sustainability and the environment are very important to us. For years we have only used products with remote access capability. This allows us to significantly reduce the number of technicians required for commissioning and troubleshooting at the customer’s premises and the associated emissions. Our customers also benefit from faster support and lower costs. By automating the warp feed process, we achieve sustainable production that improves competitiveness, focuses staff on core activities and reduces unnecessary ancillary activities and wasted resources.
“Cost Reduction is a High Priority in the Textile Industry”
Cost reduction is a high priority in the textile industry. In the competition for customers and market share, it is vital to be better than the competition. This means offering customers higher quality products at competitive prices.
There are several ways to reduce costs in the area of warp thread feeding. These range from reducing set-up times and increasing machine uptime to minimising quality defects. Focusing employees on their core tasks and reducing ancillary activities also play an important role.
“With the Introduction of DIGI-KAST, We Took the Step from Analogue to Digital Technology Many Years Ago”
With the introduction of Digi-Kast, we took the step from analogue to digital technology many years ago. With each generation of control systems, digitalisation has been pushed forward. Today we are ready for networking, data exchange, etc. In some textile companies, however, the infrastructure is not necessarily up to date, so that not all possibilities can be used optimally. Textile companies are therefore also called upon to drive forward the possibilities in order to reap the benefits of Industry 4.0.
“KAST ERC Ensures a Good Return on Investment”
Narrow technical textiles are used in various applications to solve specific technical challenges. The production of these fabrics is often subject to increased requirements, with warp tension playing an important role and requiring the use of suitable control equipment. In this area we have increased our sales with Kast Erc (Electronic Rope Control) and enquiries are growing steadily. However, we have found that the solutions are very customer-specific, as they are mainly retrofits of existing warp feeders. Each customer has specific requirements for their warp beam arrangement, yarn path and space requirements that need to be taken into account.
The main objective of the rebuild is to ensure constant warp tension without readjustment. In ribbon weaving mills, several bobbins or warp beams are often arranged behind the ribbon weaving machines, so it is important that the cost of the conversion also ensures a reasonable payback period. Kast Erc ensures a good return on investment and provides our customers with an efficient and cost-effective solution.
“Our Product Range Reduces Operating Costs and Increases Efficiency”
High inflation and rising energy and living costs can have a significant impact on purchasing behaviour in the textile market. If consumers have to rethink and adjust their spending to meet the economic challenges, this can also affect investment in textile machinery.
As a result, textile companies may be reluctant to invest in new textile machinery as they reassess their spending priorities and become more cautious due to economic uncertainty.
In addition, more costly upgrades may be postponed in order to achieve short-term cost savings and conserve cash, especially if inflation and rising costs put pressure on profits. This situation could lead companies to look for more cost-effective solutions to minimise the impact of rising costs and maintain profitability. In this context, our product range could be beneficial as it can be converted at a lower cost, while increasing productivity and reducing operating costs.
“We are Intensively Preparing for ITM 2024 Exhibition to Reach Our Potential Customers”
We are preparing intensively for ITM 2024 to maximise our presence and reach potential customers. A highlight of our presence will be a Demo model that will demonstrate and explain how our new ECR control system for ribbon weaving machines works. We will also be on hand to answer any questions visitors may have. In addition, our representative Alesta Mümessillik Tekstil Paz. ve Tic. Ltd, is planning meetings and discussions with potential customers, partners and industry experts in advance. We will also use various channels such as social media, newsletters and press releases to publicise our participation in ITM 2024 and draw the attention of potential visitors to our stand.
In terms of ITM’s impact on the textile machinery sector, which has been stagnant of late, we are confident that this event can provide an important boost to the industry. Trade shows are a unique opportunity for companies to showcase their latest innovations, make new business contacts and discuss industry trends. By bringing together companies, experts and decision-makers, ITM 2024 will help promote dynamism and innovation in the textile machinery sector and potentially open up new opportunities for growth.
