We Believe that the Textile Business is Starting to Recover Latest by the End of This Year

Intervşew: Dilek Hayırlı

Stephan Kehry, International Sales Manager of Textile Division at Erhardt Leimer, said: “The latest shows in Istanbul, Frankfurt and Colombia have shown a strong demand for new investments. We believe that the textile business is starting to recover latest by the end of this year.”

In 2024, Erhardt+Leimer once again proved its competitive strength on a global scale by achieving significant success in the textile industry. The company, which develops products not only in textiles but also in film, paper, coatings, rubber, hygiene and even battery systems, is accelerating the transformation of the industry with its innovations in artificial intelligence and sensor technologies. In 2025, Erhardt+Leimer plans to take firm steps into the future with a stronger R&D infrastructure and investments focused on digitalisation and will continue to be one of the most important players in the textile industry. Stephan Kehry, International Sales Manager of Textile Division at Erhardt Leimer, who we interviewed for our Tekstil Teknoloji magazine, said that they have set up a stock just outside Istanbul with ITEKS, which takes over the representation of Turkiye, and that they can respond quickly to customer demands. Other highlights from the interview include:

First of all, how was the year 2024 for your company? What were your important milestones and achievements? Can you evaluate your production volume, export figures, employment numbers and export markets?

Erhardt+Leimer is a company with a rather diverse portfolio. Whilst textile is the backbone as well as the soul of our company, we also provide products for film, paper, coating, tire, hygiene and even battery systems. The lack of enthusiasm in the battery business was spoiling our result in 2024. In the field of textiles we had a rather positive result, but without a clear indication of a turning point in the overall textile business.

Surely, achievements in the area of Artificial Intelligence helped us to gaining new ground. The constantly rising requirements especially in the field of sensor technology made it mandatory for the industry to work with the highest standards and we are proud that we can support them already now.

“Main Players in the Textile Market: China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Turkiye”

Erhardt+Leimer is a well-known brand in the global textile sector. What are your export targets? In recent years, in which geographies do you particularly target growth?

Every country has its own challenges. Our aim is to monitor carefully, which issues are typical for every country and provide suggestions how to solve them. We are working closely together with our agencies and subsidiaries in order to have a close communication with the end users in these fields. By doing so we not only establish a very close relationship with our customers, we also have the chance to develop new solutions together with them. This, in return, makes sure, that our product management is always on equal terms with the demands of the market.

Geographically, the main players in the textile market will remain the same: China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and, of course, Turkiye.

Turkiye is an important player in the textile sector and a strategic market for Erhardt+Leimer. Can you tell us about your activities in the Turkish market?

In Turkiye, ITEKS is representing E+L. The team around Mehmet Özcan is not only very skilled in all the aspects of textile applications; they are also really amazing people from a personal approach. They reflect all the values of Turkiye, like hospitality, dedication and passion towards their job. That goes 100% in line with our company philosophy as a family business.

Together with ITEKS, we have established a stock just outside of Istanbul, where they are holding the most popular parts and components. This ensures a quick delivery on the one hand and no irritating customs procedures. Knowing, that a fast reaction is crucial when it comes to the down-time of a stenter, we consider this installation as a big step forward as far as service and delivery is concerned.

The ELSEAMTEX SI 1001 seam sensor can detect cross seams at the level of human perception with its artificial intelligence-based software. What kind of feedback has this product received in the market?

The ELSEAMTEX is recognizing nearly any seam in a continuous process in order to protect the machinery (e.g. calander rollers, shearing blades, digital printing heads or the seam as such during the singeing process). The AI software is using a pool of more than 100.000 seam data sets, which is continuously updated and enhanced. Like that, the sensor can detect more and more seams and is getting more intelligent with every single seam attached.

The camera is making 120 images per second, which means that at a production speed of 30 m/min the system will get 20 pictures of the seam. For a safe detection, however, 3 pictures would be enough, which ensures even high speed production processes of 120 m/min. Yet, the best part is the easy installation, as the sensor just needs a place above the running web and without any additional commissioning, the unit is ready to run.

Based on the success with this unit and with the AI think tank in house E+L now has the latest AI based sensor ready: The ELWARP focusses on the selvedge end of a textile web and helps to reduce the waste during the cutting process after the stenter significantly. In addition, here, the difference of only 1 centimetre may result in more than 100 tons of fabric that this sensor may save per year.

The ELCLEAN web cleaning system is also a very striking innovation. The modular structure and integration of this system offers a great advantage for production lines. What were the main factors that guided you in launching the system to the market and what kind of feedback did you receive from customers?

Due to many reasons, the textile industry was suffering a lot during the past 3 years. Often our customers did not have the money to invest in new lines. With the experience, that E+L could gain during the past 120 years we know, that even little things might have a big impact on the production. One of those little things is the amount of fluff and loose fibres, which is typical for every textile production. On the one hand, these fibres are resulting in unpleasant reserve spots during the printing and coating process. On the other hand, they are blocking the moving parts of the machines, the vents as well as the nostrils of the operators.

Finally, they contaminate all the wet finishing applications: Every single fibre, every loose thread is consuming as much chemicals and dyestuff as the final product. With the exception, that you have to rinse them out during the course of the washing later on. Finally, all those fibres will end up in the wastewater treatment, where they are causing high BOD values. The ELCLEAN can help to avoid all those unpleasant and expensive side effects.

Erhardt+Leimer is a company that has positioned itself not only in the field of automation but also with control technologies in textile production processes. What innovations do you plan to develop in the field of control technologies in the future? Is there a technology or trend that you are particularly interested in in this area?

Process control is one of the essential chapters since long. Not only due to the extensive savings resulting thereof, but also because of the transparency that is coming along with it. “You can only manage what you are able to measure” is more important these days than ever. Process control is the key to those numbers that are essential for a proper management of modern textile production units. There will be no Industry 4.0 and no IoT without it.

Besides the traditional control of moisture, dwell time and exhaust air management, the thickness control has become another important sector, in particular when it comes to performance textiles. During the coating process, it is mandatory to have a minimum layer in order to fulfil the product requirements. Nevertheless, what if there is too much coating on the fabric? Nobody will pay for that. Instead, this extra amount might even interfere with the product requirements and might lead to rejects or even claims. A thickness measurement and control can avoid this additional cost and again helps to provide the necessary numbers to prove, that everything during the production process was just right.

How important do you think your technological solutions are for the textile industry to achieve its sustainability goals? How does Erhardt+Leimer contribute to supporting sustainable production processes?

As mentioned just now: “You can only manage what you are able to measure”. To improve things, no matter whether it is in the field of sustainability or the field of process capability, you need numbers. With the sensor technology from E+L, in particular with the AI technology in hands, our customers are always two steps ahead. Still the best earnings are happening by saving energy and optimizing processes.

Automation and digitalization are becoming much more important with the development of Industry 4.0. How does Erhardt+Leimer contribute to this transformation?

All current E+L components for web guiding are ‘IoT 4.0-ready’, i.e. suitable for integration into the latest generation of production systems. The devices, which are manufactured in high volumes, be they sensors, rotating frames or high-precision linear drives, are digital throughout and can be networked both actively and passively. This new technology, which E+L offers under the name EL.NET, therefore fits perfectly into the user’s manufacturing and ERP systems to enable automated and documented production. Device and system data from E+L products can be backed up and restored as needed. The powerful products offer both direct and remote access for service and can be easily expanded functionally via data master or PLC.

What are your expectations for the textile machinery sector in 2025? Can you provide information about the new production facilities, research and development (R&D) centers or strategic partnerships you plan to invest in?

The latest shows in Istanbul, Frankfurt and Colombia have shown a strong demand for new investments. We believe that the textile business is starting to recover latest by the end of this year. That means that many players in the field will try to get to the pole position in order to have a good start. We are very well prepared for the increased demand as we have an operating web-shop as well as well-trained subsidiaries all over the globe with skilled people in sales support and service.