Two New Machine Good News from Picanol
Erwin Devloo, Picanol’s Marketing and Communications Manager
We interviewed Picanol‘s Marketing and Communications Manager Erwin Devloo for the ‘Belgium Special Edition’ in our Tekstil Teknoloji magazine. Giving information about the changing supply chain, customer expectations and Picanol’s new products with the pandemic, Devloo said that Turkey is in an advantageous position due to its geographical proximity to Europe. Devloo said, “We foresee a significant growth for the Turkish textile industry in the coming years.”
You have launched two new rapier machines in the past months. What kind of feedback did you get from your customers regarding these machines?
On ITMA Asia + Citme we introduced two new rapier models: the GtMax S (dedicated for silk weaving) and the GtMax-i 3.0 S. These machines benefit of a higher performance, and hereby we consolidate our position in China and this resulted in a higher order intake.
Besides this also Picanol Belgium is introducing novelties at this very moment.
Which kind of innovations and progress is expected in upcoming years in weaving machines?
When starting the design of a new machine, we have to do better than just a few picks faster than the previous generation. Today’s world is all about connectivity, user-centric design, intuitive controls, self-learning capacities and sustainability … to name just a few. These are the benchmarks for a future-proof design.
We have brought these together in 4 key principles that serve as the starting point for the design of any Picanol machine or feature: Smart Performance, Sustainability Inside, Driven by Data and Intuitive control.
With this in mind we recently launched a new digital platform, PicConnect, that welcomes the weaver to the world of intuitive weaving.
And by the end of this month we will introduce the new data-driven generation airjet and rapier weaving machines: OmniPlus-i connect and OptiMax-i Connect.
What popular requests do you receive from customers these days regarding their weaving machinery? From which countries is the demand most for your weaving machines?
The answer to this question is already given above: customers want sustainability, to be ready for industry 4.0, ease of use and efficiency. This is all bundled in our four key principles: Smart Performance, Sustainability Inside, Driven by Data and Intuitive control.
“We foresee a significant growth for the Turkish textile industry”
Turkey, especially in pandemic process has become an important supply point for Europe again. What do you think about the Turkish textile market and its potentials?
Turkey has every asset needed to be succesfull in textiles: textile knowledge through a very long tradition in the industry and up-to-date production facilities, thanks to continuous investments in the past decades.
With the recent evolutions on the World market, the distributors realised the danger of being dependent of China as the only supplier. Therefor they are returning to other textile producing countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and of course also Turkey. Especially the geographical proximity of Turkey to Europe is a big advantage.
In this perspective we forsee a substantial growth for the Turkish textile industry in the coming years.
Covid- 19 shows us we should rely more on sustainability and green products, how we can improve sustainability in the textile and weaving machinery industry? What is Picanol sustainability policy?
Founded in 1936, Picanol has evolved from a traditional weaving machine manufacturer into an international, customer-focused group that specializes in the development, production and sale of high-tech weaving machines, engineered casting solutions and custom-made controllers. Sustainability and a long-term focus have been a recurring theme in our story for the past 85 years. This sustainability manifests itself primarily in our products and processes; for example, the use of simulations for the design of more energy efficient weaving machines, the conversion of old iron into high-tech castings, durable mechanical components and advanced electronics that ensure the optimum quality of fabrics and less waste, etc. Nowadays, sustainability is interwoven in all processes and products of Picanol Group, from development to production.
“We will Introduce OmniPlus-i Connect and OptiMax-i Connect for the First Time at ITM 2022”
How was 2021 for Picanol so far? What are your expectations from 2022?
After the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020, the recovery – which started in the second half of 2020 – continued in 2021. Both the weaving machines activities (Picanol) as well as the other industrial activities (Proferro, PsiControl) showed a strong revenue increase. HY21 Adjusted EBITDA increased by 281% compared to last year as fixed costs did not increase proportionally to sales. This strong improvement in earnings was achieved despite the negative impact of rising component prices that could not be fully translated into higher sales prices, partly due to the large order book.
Do you have any new products that you intend to exhibit at ITM 2022?
ITM 2022 will be the first international textile machinery exhibition where the recently introduced novelties will be on display: PicConnect, OmniPlus-i connect and OptiMax-i Connect.
Interview: Dilek HAYIRLI
