“We Have Equipped Our Machines with Technologies that Make them Longer-Lasting”
Interview: Dilek Hayırlı
Benjamin Mayer, Managing Director of Mayer & Cie. said; “We aim to make our machines more sustainable, enabling them to work longer in the field. In this way, our customers will not have to change our machines early and thus they will also protect the environment.”
The textile machinery manufacturer Mayer & Cie. joined at ITMA 2023, for the first time with both of its business units: circular knitting machines and braiding machines. The company exhibited three circular knitting machines at ITMA 2023: the revised OVJA 2.4 EM and Relanit 3.2 HS and the new three-thread fleece SF4 3.2 III.
As Tekstil Teknoloji magazine, we visited the Mayer & Cie. booth at the ITMA 2023 and had an interview with Benjamin Mayer, Managing Director of company. We talked with Mayer about the developments in the textile machinery industry, the ITMA Fair and the company’s future goals.
You brought your three new circular knitting machines together with your visitors at ITMA. First of all, how was the interest shown in your machines during the fair so far?
I can say that the first two days were not very busy. The third day went better than the others. The feedback we have received from our customers so far has been quite good. Because we exhibited our three new machines, which are very suitable for the market, at the exhibition. Therefore, our customers really enjoyed the machines we exhibited at the exhibition. I am very confident that we will get positive feedback from our customers worldwide by January.
What will be the biggest benefits of these new machines to users and the industry?
In my opinion, circular knitting machines are a very small part of the textile chain when it comes to waste of resources or pollution. Because all our machines need is electricity and some air. For this reason, it is not possible for us to save as much as a dyeing machine, but we still continue to improve our machines step by step. We aim to make our machines more sustainable and enable them to work longer in the field. In this way, our customers will not have to change our machines early and thus they will also protect the environment. For this, we have equipped our machines with technologies that make them more efficient, longer-lasting and faster. We also offer machine upgrade kits and digital solutions. Our upgrade portfolio; ranging from speed boosters to special knitting and laying equipment.
Developing technology is a very difficult process. What were the biggest challenges you faced while perfecting the technology?
Yes, indeed the textile machinery industry is a very old one, which means that the machinery has been evolving for decades. I would say most things are almost near perfect. That’s why developing machines is getting more and more complex. I think the steps you can take in the future and also now to improve machines and have innovations will be getting smaller and smaller. But you still need to do this, otherwise you can no longer compete.
How industrial and economic challenges affect your company. How do you respond to these challenges?
In fact, there were geopolitical wars and trade wars that have been going on for years, but after the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced crises such as the supply chain, the increase in raw material prices, the energy crisis, and the Russia-Ukraine War that started afterwards. Each of these is a crisis on its own, but together they create a bigger crisis. Everyone is having the same problem right now; the demand is not that high. But I predict that next year all these crises will end and the world will be stable for at least a few years.
The global energy crisis is affecting all textile companies. Has your company been affected by the energy crisis?
As I mentioned in the previous question, all crises affect our company as well. While purchasing the materials we need while making our machines, we encounter really high prices. We need to include the price calculation of the machine in these prices somehow. This means that our product is more expensive for our customers. It was always a problem to tell the customer that he had to pay five, six, seven or even 10% more for the machine. But so far, most of the customers have accepted it. As a company, we do our best for our customers and I think we are lucky to be able to resolve the situation now, given the circumstances.
ITMA 2023 focuses on automation, sustainability and innovative technologies. Which of these are the most important and what kind of work do you do on these issues?
If I have to choose between these options, I can say that it is the ‘digital future’ because this time we are exhibiting a new product at our booth; Knitlink. The platform that links the manufacturer, representatives and customers. It is IIoT-based and the central location for all machine data that every customer can use to record and evaluate the performance of his machines. It is also a repository for documents such as operating instructions, manuals and spare part recommendations. In addition, knitlink provides every customer with remote access to the circular knitting machine. knitlink incorporates the web shop, which is digitally linked to the new-generation Control 5.0. Circular knitting machines with Control 5.0 are IoT-enabled and can inter alia be operated from mobile devices, so the knitter no longer needs to be physically at the controls. I think this is the only way to differentiate between Asian competitors and high quality machines from Germany.
So what kind of steps are you taking for a more sustainable future?
Every company must move on its own to be sustainable because otherwise it cannot be financially successful. Therefore, it is always in the company’s interest to be sustainable. Now customers are also asking more and more questions about sustainable solutions. Because they are forced to be more sustainable by their customers which are mostly big brands, because of marketing problems. That’s why we try to make many small improvements, such as upgrade kits, a new oil system, to improve our machines, to make them more sustainable.
Our Most Demanded Machine by Turkish Customers; Relanit 3.2 HS
What are your most demanded products in the Turkish market? How was the interest of Turkish visitors in these products?
Our best selling and most popular product in Turkey is our Relanit 3.2 HS circular knitting machine. For ITMA 2023 we have equipped the existing Relanit 3.2 HS with improved yarn guides. It has a needle with an optimised hook and tongue shape and a pre-determined breaking point to improve safety at higher output. I think Turkish customers will be very happy to see these improvements we have made to the machine. I hope many Turkish customers will come, see these developments and even buy more such machines. Because I can say that this machine is the latest technology in the Turkish market.
How has 2023 been for your company so far? Can you evaluate it in terms of your orders and export markets?
In fact, the year 2023 started just as the year 2022 ended. Demand for machines has decreased, just like in 2021 when Covid-19 was effective and in the first half of 2022. So I think there is some kind of overcapacity in the market. As a result, demand slows down a bit. But I’m pretty sure next year demand will rise again. Then I hope these ups and downs we have experienced in the last 4-5 years will not happen.
