ITMA Asia Exhibition and China International Textile Machinery Exhibition 2016 are the most important textile machinery exhibitions in Asia. This four-day exhibition showcases high-level technologies from more than 100 German machinery manufacturers not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality. German technology can play an important role in environmental protection and energy efficiency in the textile industry in China and other countries.
The products and services of German VDMA member companies cover different product segments including spinning, non-woven fabrics, weaving, knitting, warp knitting and finishing. The exhibition area of German exhibitors exceeds 7,000 square meters.
Commitment to sustainable development
Mr. Fritz P. Mayer, chairman of the VDMA German Textile Machinery Association and partner of Karl Mayer, said that German technology plays an important role in environmental protection, providing energy efficiency and enhancing the competitiveness of textile producers. “For some time, VDMA member companies have been paying attention to the sustainable development of their products to meet the technical needs of energy efficiency, which brings about reductions in consumption and thus lower costs.” Mr. Mayer explained. New technology is the first important factor for good products and competitiveness. And technology is a prerequisite for saving resources and energy, he explained. Professional investment clients are very happy to invest in sustainable technologies and technologies that improve energy efficiency. The VDMA calls it “sustainable development that brings benefits,” concludes Mr. Mayer.
Energy saving up to 30%
In 2011, VDMA launched the concept of blue energy efficiency, and more than 40 textile machinery companies have joined. In addition to scientific certification experience and method theory, VDMA has always focused on best practice examples. The analysis proposed for the first time by VDMA experts examines the energy saving effect of five products across the entire textile industry chain: cotton T-shirts, functional T-shirts, light box fabrics, non-woven fabrics for construction and non-woven fabrics for hygiene. The results of this in-depth analysis are impressive: producing these products using today’s German technology saves up to 30% energy compared to German technology from 10 years ago. A detailed analysis report is available at the VDMA stand.
Towards Industry 4.0
The future textile industry is increasingly determined by Industry 4.0. The interconnection of information technology and production processes is on the right track. Mr. Thomas Waldmann, President of the VDMA German Textile Machinery Association, said: “Leading customers are interested in factual monitoring and predictive maintenance, and this includes remote services.” Other hot spots he mentioned were virtual equipment, traceability, remote control data exchange , self-optimizing, intelligent user interface or personalization. Generally speaking, smart equipment controls will automatically and correctly process industrial parameters based on sensor reports. In other words, if the final time for shipment cannot be met, the downstream production process will be adjusted immediately. Without discussing potential new business models, the advantages of Industry 4.0 are immediately reflected in factory efficiency, more economical production processes, energy savings, and more flexible production, to name just a few.
China’s textile industry—Germany is the largest foreign supplier
From January to May this year, China’s textile industry imported equipment worth US$1.04 billion and increased its focus on advanced technology. With a market share of 35%, Germany is the largest exporter to the Chinese market. Contrary to the downward trend of imports, shipments of spinning equipment increased by 20% from January to May. Imports from Germany account for 25%. Germany is actively helping textile companies reduce energy consumption and costs
