Karl Mayer has launched a new brand – KM.ON – for delivering digital solutions, and showcased its own software start-up at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018.

KM.ON stands for “digital driven innovation”. The brand brings together the digital solutions portfolio of the Karl Mayer Digital Factory, a new software start-up, and the entire Karl Mayer Group.

The Karl Mayer Digital Factory employs a team of software specialists and technology experts in a new, creative environment away from the main company headquarters.

Maximilian Kürig, who, together with Antonia Gottschalk is one of the managing directors, said KM.ON will connect with all Karl Mayer products, and help customers fill the gaps that existing ERP products cannot fulfil.

“This new venture should develop efficient digital solutions quickly and flexibly for the benefit of our customers and deliver them under its own, new umbrella brand,” he said. “Digital solutions are expanding the possibilities of considerably improving the efficiency of our customers’ production processes and giving them unparalleled competitive advantages.”

He said that more features will be developed for the system, which has already got customers in China.

KM.ON’s digital portfolio of services will support customers in selected areas and is made up of eight solution categories. k.ey – a conventional industry PC together with an appropriate software – provides access to the solutions. The platform of hardware and software can be installed easily and links the machines securely to the protected cloud. This is based on the expertise gained by participating in ADAMOS with regard to the use of an open IIoT environment which is specifically focused on the needs of machinery and plant construction. This enables the benefits of KM.ON to be exploited easily and securely.

Visitors “wait and see”

Karl Mayer received about 760 visitors. The stand was particularly busy during the first three days of the fair. Roughly 300 participants also visited the in-house show at Karl Mayer (China), which was held at the same time.

“ITMA ASIA + CITME 2018 was a successful show, with many visitors from China and also from other countries in and around Asia. Our stand was THE meeting-point for the sector, with its modern design, innovative machines and solutions designed to cater for current trends. We have shown that we are also pioneers in the future issues of sustainability and digitisation, and we are opening up new opportunities for our clients,” said Arno Gärtner, Karl Mayer’s CEO.

Although the visitors showed interest in the products on show, they are holding off on making new investments and this had been expected, according to Karl Mayer.

The reasons for the stagnation were mainly attributed to the situation in Turkey, the embargo on Iran, the trade dispute between China and the USA, and fluctuations in yarn prices as a result of speculation.

“The current political situation dampens the economic confidence in some of our important buying countries. Our clients seem to be confused,” said Oliver Mathews, Sales Manager of Karl Mayer’s Warp Knitting Business Unit.

He sees the mood of the market as being one of “wait and see” rather than one of resignation. Customers can tap into new markets with novel applications.

Building on textiles

At the fair, Karl Mayer’s Technical Textiles Business Unit was exhibiting as an expert, flexible partner for a wide range of applications. The focal point of its demonstration of applications were textiles for the construction industry, such as concrete reinforcements, plaster carriers and roofing materials. This issue is currently a hot topic. The possibility of using textiles in the building sector is opening up new global markets and is arousing the interest of textile producers in Asia.

“Traditional warp knitting companies in particular see the opportunities of opening up new business areas. Weaving companies with experience of technical textiles are surprised at the high productivity of warp knitting. Depending on the application, the cost:benefit ratio of warp knitting to weaving may be 1:17,” said Hagen Lotzmann, Sales Manager of the Technical Textiles Business Unit.

The company’s weft-insertion, biaxial and multiaxial warp knitting machines can be found in the plants of manufacturers of inlays, tarpaulins and advertising substrates, as well as in those of producers of geogrids, composites and automotive fabrics.

The Chinese civil engineering sector is one of the growth areas in the country but, unlike the construction industries in Europe and America, for example, the Chinese building industry focuses on conventional materials.

Textiles can offer the civil engineering sector many advantages, especially when used in concrete components. By replacing conventional steel reinforcements with carbon- or glass-fibre textiles, the amount of concrete used can be reduced by up to 70%. CO₂ emissions, energy consumption and component weights can also be reduced.

Jochen Schmidt, CEO, Business Unit Technical Textiles, said there is a lot of room for growth in the civil engineering sector in Asia, where the trend of sustainable living continues to spread. The technical textiles used in construction in Europe had proved to be safe and popular.

He said the technology can be adopted by existing machines, and Karl Mayer can help customers on the knowhow and connect them with relevant parties for product developments.