Spoolex will Exhibit Customizable, Environment-Friendly Products
Spoolex, an international machinery manufacturer operating in the textile and nonwoven machinery markets, will take its place at ITMA 2023 as it does every year. The company, which will introduce its 3 important brands Calemard, Decoup+ and Roll Concept at its B203 Hall14 booth, will exhibit its customizable, environment-friendly products.
Röportaj: Dilek Hayırlı
We talked to Catherine Pic, Spoolex Marketing Assistant, who gave an interview to our Tekstil Teknoloji magazine for our ‘French Special Issue’, about the ITMA Fair to be held in June and the technologies and features they will exhibit.
Answering our questions, Catherine Pic, Spoolex Marketing Assistant; “Spoolex, since 2020 and the Covid period, we have not only improved our range of equipment but have also expanded it by developing around our core expertise in tension control and precise guiding system, many innovative solutions such as: slitter-rewinder with pre-cutting system for dry wipes, turret winder with printing system, a new non-stop winder with very low tension for highly sensitive materials.” she shared all the new technologies of Spoolex with our magazine.
How was the year 2022 for your company? Can you evaluate it in terms of your production volume, orders and export markets?
Begining of 2022, we feared an activity decreased due to post Covid overproduction, especially in nonwovens industry. Finally, we quickly got past the fear and we maintained a stable level of activity even with an increase on European markets, thanks to our adaptability and R&D capacities.
We have left behind the first five months of 2023. How did 2023 start and progress for your company?
2023 looks promising with a good order backlog, and this, despite of worldwide shortage of supply of some components. Fortunately, as early as last year, our general management took action to address these issues. To answer components shortage, we have anticipated by releasing funds to store the most important parts. Our purchasing department also work hard every day to negotiate with our international providers. But one of our main strengths, is to work closely with local providers. This mutual trust allows our company to continue to still deliver machinery with “correct” delay.
Bulkier, fluffier and more tension sensitive…
As “SPOOLEX” you adopt an environmentally friendly and sustainable product approach. Do you have any new product projects or investments that you will announce soon? If yes, can you give us information about the process?
First, our company is ISO 9001 & 45001 certified. These certifications and our Quality/Safety/Environment department requires on a daily basis to complain with environmental standards and our operator safety. Then regarding our equipment, they are all offered different ecofriendly solutions to reduce converted product wastes, to reduce dust, to convert green product, to ease product recycling… For example, our high productive Jumbo spooling lines Pegase has been improved to convert new materials always bulkier, fluffier and more tension sensitive, such as cellulose natural fibers. Thanks to our specific precise guiding solutions, all our equipment allow to reduce selvedges scraps and wastes. Another example with our ultrasonic splicing solution to avoid additional material and to ease recycling.
“We have been working with universities since in the 1970s.”
Are there any innovations you will develope with universities? Do you have any plans for such a project with universities in the near future?
We are used to work with universities for a long time… In the 70’s, we developed our ultrasonic cutting/sealing technology in collaboration with a local National School of Mechanical Engineering. Today, our Engineering department regularly receives students, future mechanical or automation engineers, to submit projects for their case studies. But we are also working with international universities. Recently we delivered and commissioned our famous Orion high technical slitter-rewinder at the North Carolina State University. This custom built machine is designed to handle a variety of nonwoven materials (Spunbond, Meltblown and Carded/Needle Punched Staple Fibers…) and available for educational, training, and research & development use through The Nonwovens Institute of NCSU and for product incubation/commercialization use. Likewise, we also delivered a non-stop winder to the CETI, a European private applied research and innovation center for a sustainable textile industry, offering materials, products and process R&D services.
The ITMA 2023, which will held at June, you will attented. Which will be the products you exhibit?
ITMA is the most important show dedicated to textile, and, also now, nonwoven machineries. As an international machine manufacturer involved in these markets, Spoolex will be present this year again. At our booth B203 Hall14, we are going to present our 3 brands, Calemard, Decoup+ and Roll Concept. Calemard is our Converting Machinery Division. Present since 1955 on a wide range of markets, Calemard has focused its activities on highly technical slitting applications. Always based on modular design each Calemard’s slitter is multi-purposes and can convert thick or thin materials into pads or spools of wide or narrow strips. Our technical and process expertise has allowed us to develop machines with sensitive web tension control and guiding systems, to manage, depending on the product to be converted, high, low and even extremely low tension on the same machine. The result is compact rolls with consistent tension, clean and straight edges for easy use on downstream operations.
From standard needs to customized solutions
Our Decoup+’s ultrasonic technology performs clean and soft edges, without fraying, overthickness but also strong and regular weldings without any additional material such as staples, glue, rivets…. Ultrasonic can be used on any synthetic fabrics. Quick and aesthetic, this technology allows a direct use of the final product. Present since 1975 on the market with a complete industrial range, we offer compact and ergonomic ultrasonic cutting/sealing devices used at any step of the textile production process.
Then, Roll Concept is our Industrial Rollers division. Since 1991, our Roll Concept brand designs and manufactures industrial idler rollers, chill rollers and winding cores, specially engineered to increase line speed, improve process performance – by reducing web tension on the process and/or to help to save energy.
Can you tell us about your products’ features?
Our Calemard’s range of products includes slitter-rewinders, turret winders, spooling lines, but also, non stop-winders, splicing benches and slitting benches, from simple equipment to fully automated cells. Based on a modular concept, our machines are fully customisable and can be fitted with different unwinding, slitting and rewinding technologies to answer each specific needs. But all our equipment have common features: precise tension control, precise guiding, reliability and adaptability.
From looms, to stenter-frames or finishing operation machine, and of course, final make-up operations, the ultrasonic cutting/sealing solutions developed by Decoup+ are proven solutions with different powers. They are proposed as modular units to be mounted on existing lines, as adapted in-line or off-line benches or as handheld units. Decoup+ has its own dedicated teams, from Sales to assembly workshop, but also an engineering team composed with industrial designer, electronic engineer and acoustics Doctor.
Then regarding Roll Concept, thanks to our Calemard’s converting machinery activity, our engineers are used to understand converting needs and know that the process defines the needs. Thus, we can carry out all type of projects, from standard need to customized solution, from designing to assembling. Our expertise allows us to propose the best profile, coating and assembly, to engineer the most adapted roll to improve process performance and increase line speed.
“We will continue our Industry 4.0 R&D program for our customers”
What will be new innovations in the future for French Textile Machinery Industry?
Spoolex, since 2020 and the Covid period, we have not only improved our range of equipment but have also expanded it by developing around our core expertise in tension control and precise guiding system, many innovative solutions such as: slitter-rewinder with pre-cutting system for dry wipes, turret winder with printing system, a new non-stop winder with very low tension for highly sensitive materials. Of course, we are also going to continue to develop our equipment for even more adaptability, but also to continue our Industry 4.0 R&D program to help even more our customers to answer their needs of sustainable manufacturing and industrial practices automation with smart technology.
