We are Committed to Developing Specific Solutions That Enable Turkish Weavers to Maintain Quality

Interview: Dilek HAYIRLI

“For the Turkish market, our strategy involves strengthening our local presence and providing tailored support to weaving mills. We are committed to developing specific solutions that address the unique challenges faced by Turkish weaving mills, ensuring they can maintain high productivity and quality even in times of economic uncertainty.” said Fritz Legler, Head of Sales and Marketing at Stäubli Textile.

While the global textile industry is being shaped by issues such as fluctuating market conditions, falling demand and energy efficiency, Stäubli stands out with its innovative technologies. Turkiye is among Stäubli’s important markets with its strong production capacity in the textile industry. We had a comprehensive interview with Fritz Legler, Head of Sales and Marketing at Stäubli Textile, about the company’s solutions for weaving factories in Turkiye, support programs for local manufacturers and its goals for 2025.

How did Stäubli fare in 2024, given the uncertainties and falling demand in the industry? What is your strategy for the Turkish market in the light of this economic uncertainty? Are you planning to develop a specific support or solution for weaving mills in Turkiye?

At the beginning of 2024, Stäubli has been navigating the uncertainties in the sector with resilience and adaptability. Despite signs of falling demand, we have continued to focus on innovation and customer-centric solutions. For the Turkish market, our strategy involves strengthening our local presence and providing tailored support to weaving mills. We are committed to developing specific solutions that address the unique challenges faced by Turkish weaving mills, ensuring they can maintain high productivity and quality even in times of economic uncertainty. We have a strong local team in all textile hubs in Türkiye to give full support to our customers.

How do you facilitate process management for weavers with Active Warp Control (AWC) 2.0? What benefits does this technology, which is particularly popular with denim producers, bring to producers working with complex weave structures? How has the product been received in the market?

The handling, control, and monitoring of each warp yarn during the drawing-in process is crucial for the quality of the finished harness with warp beam. Stäubli developed “Active Warp Control 2.0” (AWC 2.0), available on all SAFIR systems, to control and monitor the process based on continuously measured yarn properties and programmed draw-in repeat.

Yarn properties

Stäubli AWC 2.0 uses optical, non-contact recognition to measure yarn properties and controls the subsequent steps based on this data.

Yarn titre and double-end detection

It detects whether a double end has been separated by mistake and efficiently handles, controls and monitors slub yarns in denim weaving mills, preventing machine stops. AWC 2.0 has found a good market approbation and most automatic SAFIR drawing-in machines are equipped with optional AWC 2.0 features.

Automatic drawing-in systems provide a significant increase in the efficiency of the weaving process. How does the SAFIR S60 model change the sector, especially in terms of yarn colour detection and management? What new developments are you planning for this technology in the future?

Today’s fast pace and cut-throat fabric production requires perfect warp beams that have been automatically drawn-in on our latest SAFIR PRO S67. Weaving is thus optimized, less warp-related machine stops are the result – which in turn improves the weaving efficiency, productivity, and quality output of A-grade fabrics. The SAFIR PRO S67 has novel & enhanced features offering user benefits through high-tech features resulting in quick recognition of yarn colors, yarn characteristics and repeat to be considered in weaving through AWC 2.0 (Active Warp Control 2.0) – employing latest optics, sensors, and algorithms. Furthermore, SAFIR PRO S67 can be delivered with ICS – Initial Condition setting which facilitates fast start-up proceedings of the drawing-in process through pre-defined machine parameters. Going into remote control of SAFIR PRO S67, the machine can be linked to our safe and secure data cloud thus offering APC – Active Productivity & Drawing-in Control. The SAFIR PRO S67 will additionally speed up the drawing-in process since it is drawing-in up to 200 ends per min. thus guaranteeing a very high production rate.

Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important in textile machinery. What concrete data can you provide on reducing the carbon footprint by reducing the energy consumption of your PRO series jacquard machines? What are the long-term cost benefits for manufacturers?

Our PRO series Jacquard machines are designed with energy efficiency in mind. The innovative NOEMI electronic concept, combined with our latest module MX PRO, reduces energy consumption by 30% compared to the previous generation, resulting in a lower carbon footprint and significant long-term cost benefits for manufacturers. By optimizing energy use, manufacturers can achieve substantial savings on operational costs and contribute to environmental sustainability, with minimal power consumption.

The automation solutions offered by Stäubli are a great support, especially for manufacturers who have a shortage of skilled labour. How do the TIEPRO warp tying and your digital service portal MyStäubli facilitate maintenance and production processes for customers?

The TIEPRO warp tying machine and MyStäubli customer portal are designed to streamline maintenance and production processes. The easy-use TIEPRO offers rapid and efficient warp tying with minimal operator intervention, making it ideal for manufacturers facing a shortage of skilled labor. MyStäubli provides easy access to maintenance records, training materials, and support services, ensuring customers can manage their equipment effectively and minimize downtime.

Technical textiles are becoming one of the most important segments for Stäubli. Can you tell us about your weaving solutions developed specifically for the defence, medical and automotive sectors? What innovations will we see in your R&D studies for technical textiles in the coming period?

Stäubli technical weaving systems are designed to produce high-performance fabrics that meet stringent industry standards. With our TF technical weaving system, it’s now possible to mix a great variety of yarn materials into a woven fabric to produce innovative spacer fabrics, 3D fabrics, or multi-layer fabrics with variable thickness. This flexibility allows us to cater to diverse needs from aerospace, defense, medical, and automotive sectors, and create unique fabric structures that enhance performance and functionality. The latest development in our weft insertion minimizes weft waste to an absolute minimum, which is ideal for sensitive and expensive yarns such as carbon, aramid, and ultra-sensitive ceramic yarns.

What are Stäubli’s global goals for 2025? How do you see the sector evolving in 2025 and are you planning any new investments or technological developments in this direction?

Stäubli’s global goals for 2025 include expanding our market reach, enhancing our product offerings, and driving innovation in textile machinery. We aim to strengthen our position as a leader in the industry by investing in new technologies and sustainable practices. We anticipate the sector will continue to evolve with a focus on automation, energy efficiency, and advanced materials. Our investments and technological developments will be aligned with these trends to ensure we meet the needs of our customers and contribute to the industry’s growth.