“Türkiye Has Long Been One Of Mahlo’s Most Important Markets”

Interview: Tuğba Karademir

Despite global uncertainties, Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG reinforced its technological leadership in 2025, redefining quality, efficiency, and sustainability in textile production with its AI-powered control systems, next-generation sensor technologies, and Industry 4.0-compatible solutions.

The German specialist in measurement and process control technologies, Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG, maintained its growth momentum in 2025 despite fluctuations in global markets, delivering strong performance across a wide spectrum ranging from technical textiles and nonwovens to coating and finishing processes, as well as integrated quality management solutions. Strengthening its technological leadership through digitalization, AI-driven automation, and sustainable production solutions, the company also positions the Turkish market among its strategic priorities. In this comprehensive interview with Tekstil Teknoloji Magazine, Mahlo Head of Sales Thomas Höpfl and Area Sales Manager Kağan Kaynak share their assessment of 2025 and outline the company’s vision for the years ahead.

Looking back at 2025, how would you evaluate Mahlo’s performance in terms of global markets, production achievements and the challenges you faced?

Thomas Höpfl, Head of Sales: The year 2025 was marked by highly dynamic market conditions. Despite global uncertainties – including continued supply chain disruptions and volatile energy prices – Mahlo was able to strengthen its position across nearly all core segments. Particularly in technical textiles, nonwovens, coating, and finishing, we saw a strong trend toward modernization and automation, from which Mahlo greatly benefited.

On the production side, major optimization initiatives were successfully completed: increased modularization, more efficient assembly concepts, and digitized internal workflows significantly reduced lead times. At the same time, the company deepened long-term partnerships with OEMs and end users worldwide. Challenges such as labor shortages and global logistics bottlenecks required flexible planning but also stimulated innovation and accelerated the adoption of new solution concepts – ultimately reinforcing Mahlo’s long-term competitiveness.

“In 2025, Mahlo Further Expanded Its Role As A Technological Leader”

What are the latest technological innovations in Mahlo’s measurement and control systems, and how do they differentiate your solutions in the market?

Höpfl: In 2025, Mahlo further expanded its role as a technological leader. The latest innovations include state-of-the-art web straightening and alignment technologies, new sensor generations for basis weight, moisture, layer thickness, and optical monitoring – all designed for higher speeds, greater precision, and increased robustness under demanding production conditions.

A key advancement is the expanded use of AI-driven algorithms that detect process variations earlier and automatically optimize control settings, reducing waste and energy consumption. The modular platform architecture ensures that customers can easily retrofit future technologies – a major advantage compared to less flexible competitor systems.

“Higher Transparency, Process Reliability and Productivity”

How is data connectivity and Industry 4.0 integration implemented across Mahlo’s products, and what benefits does it bring to your customers?

Kağan Kaynak, Area Sales Manager: Mahlo systems are fully Industry 4.0-ready. Standardized interfaces enable seamless integration into higher-level systems. Real-time dashboards visualize quality parameters and line performance. The integration of digital twins allows users to simulate process scenarios and prepare optimizations virtually.

Additional condition-monitoring functions use sensor data to identify maintenance needs early, preventing unplanned downtime. For customers, this results in significantly higher transparency, process reliability and productivity.

Sustainability and energy efficiency are increasingly important in textile production—how do Mahlo solutions address these priorities?

Kaynak: Mahlo technology directly contributes to sustainability and resource efficiency – increasingly essential for textile manufacturers worldwide. Intelligent closed-loop control systems ensure processes operate within optimal ranges, whether drying, coating, fixing, or finishing. This prevents overdosing, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes waste.

Our durable and service-friendly machines also reduce environmental impact over their long lifecycle. Many systems can be updated modularly, protecting investments and avoiding unnecessary machine replacement.

“This Constant Exchange a Key Factor in Mahlo’s Market Leadership.”

In what ways do customer feedback and market insights influence Mahlo’s new product development and innovation process?

Höpfl: At Mahlo, innovation does not happen in isolation but in continuous dialogue with users, OEMs, and service partners. Customer feedback is systematically incorporated into development projects. Service teams provide real-world insights from around the world directly to our R&D departments. Mahlo also participates in international research partnerships to identify emerging trends and new requirements early.

This constant exchange ensures that innovations are not only technologically advanced but also well suited for real production environments – a key factor in Mahlo’s market leadership.

“Turkish Manufacturers Continuously Invest in Modern Technology”

Could you share your perspective on Mahlo’s position and role in the Turkish textile and nonwoven industry? Are there specific strategies tailored for this market?

Kaynak: Türkiye has long been one of Mahlo’s most important markets, both in traditional textiles and in nonwovens. Turkish manufacturers continuously invest in modern technology and count among the most innovative users worldwide. Mahlo supports this with strong local representation, long-standing distribution partners, and a comprehensive service network.

Our strategy includes customized solutions, fast response times, on-site training, and close cooperation with leading Turkish OEMs. This enables producers in Türkiye to compete globally with high quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

Looking ahead, which areas of measurement and process control technology does Mahlo aim to lead in over the next years?

Kaynak: In the coming years, Mahlo will concentrate on several strategic priorities: expanding AI-supported control systems, developing new sensor platforms for complex materials such as composites and functional layers, and providing integrated quality management solutions for entire production lines.

Mahlo is also working to make user interfaces even more intuitive while increasing automation and autonomy levels. The goal is to provide manufacturers worldwide with technologies that ensure maximum quality, resource efficiency, and process reliability – strengthening Mahlo’s market leadership for the long term.