Swiss Brings Its Innovative Spirit to ITMA Asia+Citme
Over the centuries, the sheer innovative spirit of the Swiss has been demonstrated many times through inventions spanning various fields of human experience. Their impact on the global textile industry has been among the most notable, with continuous and significant developments. Swiss textile machinery companies have been at the core of this naturally-evolving tradition of inventiveness. Today, the producers of machines and components and service providers in Swiss Textlile Machinery sustain that heritage by a commitment to ongoing innovation that will influence the textile industry worldwide in future. Some developments have impacted on our individual lives, others on a particular business or industry.
Looking back in history, Swiss inventions have repeatedly energized the global textile industry. The list includes: Caspar Honeg- ger’s weaving loom (1842), Georges Audemars’s rayon artificial silk (1855), Isaak Groebli’s shuttle embroidery machine (1863), Karl Friedrich Gegauf’s hemstitch sewing machine and later inventions such as Othmar Winterhalter’s zip (1923) and George de Mestral’s Velcro fastener (1951).
THE INVENTING TRADITION
Years ago, most enterprises were family businesses, often built on the founders’ invention of a technology or machine which was then further developed and improved over generations. Many Swiss textile machinery companies have a history dating back more than a century – and some are still family-owned. The tradition of innovation evolved naturally over decades for the Swiss textile machinery manufacturers, component producers and service providers.
BUILDING CUSTOMER TRUST
Across the generations of Swiss textile machinery firms, expertise has been handed down – along with the ‘inventor gene’. Driving it all, however, has been a recognition that customer requirements are the priority. Meeting those needs through innovative solutions is the real goal. “The years of experience and heritage of innovation definitely bring added value for our customers, who trust Swiss Textile Machinery members to help them build their own business success,” says Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the association.
Some of the standards set by the Swiss textile machinery compa- nies have been established for decades – as readers might know from textbooks during their studies. As ‘Industry 4.0’ progresses, even more new technologies and standards can be expected. “I am confident that Swiss Textile Machinery members will continue to introduce innovations which will influence the worldwide textile industry in future – and I look forward with great anticipation to ITMA 2019 in Barcelona,” says Buchwalder.
