As a four-day China’s textile industry biennial event, The 19^th International Exhibition on Textile Industry (ShanghaiTex 2019) successfully drew down its curtain at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre on November 28.

According to the organizer, the show covered 9 exhibition halls with a total area of 100,000 sq.m, gathered more than 1,200 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, and attracted 85,918 buyers from 64 countries and regions. Among the buyers, 11% were from the overseas.

Under the theme of “Smarter Textile ž Better Life”, the exhibition facilitated the textile industry to leverage smart manufacturing technologies for opening up new market opportunities and build a better life for consumers.

As introduced, the exhibits were covered in the following 9 thematic zones:

• Spinning, Man-made Fibre & Techtextile Machinery Zone
• Weaving Machinery Zone
• Knitting & Hosiery Machinery Zone
• Printing, Dyeing & Finishing Machinery Zone
• Digital Printing Machinery Zone
• Spare Parts And Accessories For Textile Machinery Zone
• Dyestuff & Textile Chemicals Zone
• Sustainable, Eco-friendly Technology And Recyclable Materials
• Textech Galaxy / Textech Startup Planet

Visitors were interested in the latest innovations presented by the exhibitors. 

A broad spectrum of innovative exhibits and technologies

Italian producer of electronic yarn feeders, L.G.L. Electronics, showcased a range of advanced and sustainable yarn feeding solution which included yarn feeding solutions for knitting and weaving.

Feeders for knitting were Spin1, Ecopower, Ecompact and the MINI CB made in Hangzhou/China and suitable for all types of knitting machines. Among them, MINI CB feeders perform successfully in many different applications like seamless, socks, large diameter circular knitting machine, flat knitting machines etc.

On the trade fair, the new version with electronic brake ATTIVO was introduced to the Chinese market and would be available since then.

The ATTIVO allows the programming of the desired tension which is kept constant either with full or empty bobbin. Yarn tension sensor is remotely programmable by laptop. Wide tension range is from 0.5 g to 25g.

According to Alberto Savoi, Sales at L.G.L. Electronics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., the launch of MINI CB with ATTIVO technology demonstrates the product localization strategy of the company to bring the latest products that meet the latest requirements of local customers in the Chinese market. 

The MINI CB feeder with electronic brake ATTIVO.

Meanwhile, feeders for weaving were Ecosmart, Progress Vector and Plus, Tecnico and Ecowinder. The Ecowinder on stage is the latest model made by L.G.L. Hangzhou.

The Ecowinder features a reduction of power consumption compared to other feeders in the market. It has a reduced dimension and weight (4.8 kg), and is available with three optical sensor controlling: input missing yarn, winding yarn, winding count and yarn reserve.

For the latest model made by L.G.L. Hangzhou, it is another example of L.G.L.’s product localization strategy. Three mechanical sensors are used on the feeder instead of optical sensors, which is a localized feature for the Chinese market.

Together with the feeders equipped on the machines of the company’s partners at the show, there were more than 1,000 L.G.L. feeders on stage.

Despite the market slowdown, this year is a positive year to L.G.L. Hangzhou as the company can keep the same sales level of last year which was very successful.

Alberto Savoi explained that one of the contributing factors is the well rounded product portfolio of L.G.L. The wide range of products is applicable to different sectors such as home textile, technical textile, etc.

“Our strength is not just work on one specific sector. When one sector faces downturn, another sector may grow. So we can manage and balance better,” he said.

The booth of L.G.L. Electronics.

At the show, two machines were under the spotlight at the booth of Savio, namely the HelioS open end rotor spinning machine and the Polar Evolution E PREMIUM automatic bobbin feeding and doffing (stand-alone system). 

The HelioS is equipped with modern spinning technology which meets all main requirements with optimized efficiency and flexibility. Thanks to the new Savio Spin box, the machine has high spinning speed of up to 125.000 rpm. It has take-up speed of up to 250 m/min.

In addition, the machine features independent sides for two lots processing. Up to 520 spinning units are available to meet customers’ requirements. Low operation height makes the machine user-friendly for all kind of operations.

The HelioS open end rotor spinning machine at Savio’s booth. 

For the Polar Evolution E PREMIUM, it is suitable to process bobbins produced by ring frames not equipped with automatic doffing device.

The benefits of the machine include: higher productivity, flexible production planning, consistent package quality, and minimum yarn waste. It also saves power and compressed air because unnecessary splicing cycle is avoided. 

The Polar Evolution E PREMIUM features power and compressed air savings. 

The new YarnMaster yarn clearer generation PRISMA was one of the highlights of Loepfe Brothers at the show. With the fusion of sensor technologies, it has a new integrated function, the MillMaster TOP management system, for analyzing and optimizing yarn quality.

The YarnMaster PRISMA combines established sensor technologies in one device: optical infrared (basic yarn faults), Mass (basic yarn faults), Optical RGB (foreign matter) and Triboelectric (polypropylene). 

According to Loepfe, the unconventional approach to use an optical and a mass sensor, functioning in harmony, offers unprecedented possibilities and new levels of precision in yarn clearing. With the intelligent fusion of the two sensor technologies, all technology-based advantages of both sensors are consolidated.

Meanwhile, the new RGB F-sensor illuminates the yarn in the full spectrum of light, enabling the recognition of the smallest shade and glossiness differences in any type of yarn and color and mixtures thereof.

The YarnMaster PRISMA combines established sensor technologies in one device for optimizing yarn quality.

Another highlight was the latest optoelectronic YarnMaster EOS precise yarn clearer which provides reliable clearing results in open-end spinning process.

The YarnMaster EOS detects yarn faults such as piecer, yarn count, irregularity, silver faults and imperfections. It also detects yarn hairness and cluster faults, and controls reliably the quality for the wide range of Ne 3 to Ne 100. 

The optoelectronic YarnMaster EOS provides reliable clearing results in open-end spinning process.

Mesdan highlighted its solution for yarn splicing, including the two new models of MOISTAIR hand operated air splicer: 6981A and 6982A.

MOISTAIR 6981A is suitable for single and plied cotton (ring and O.E.), blends and synthetics. MOISTAIR 6982A is suitable for coarse single and plied cotton (ring and O.E.), blends and synthetics. 

The new MOISTAIR 6981A and 6982A hand operated air splicers from Mesdan.

Meanwhile, Mesdan-Lab promoted the new instrument CONTEST-F which measures both the cotton fiber properties and cotton stickiness (honeydew/sugar content) at the same time.

As introduced, all cotton classification values can be tested by the instrument, such as length, strength, elongation, micronaire, maturity, fineness, color grade and trash. The test results are independent from operator influence due to highly automated operations.
SDL Atlas displayed a variety of newly redesigned instruments, Vortex M6, Martindale, Autoburst and Launder-Ometer along with their new line of high quality SDL Atlas Test Materials and RemoteAccess.

According to Fred Cheng, General Manager – HK & Overseas, SDL Atlas: “SDL Atlas is committed to providing customers confidence in standard based testing. With offices and experts in the United States, United Kingdom and China, plus agents serving over 100 countries, we are ready to support its customers with instruments, test materials and services anywhere in the world.”

The newly redesigned Vortex M6, is now equipped with a full color touchscreen controller. Both the M6 Monograph and the LP1 washes are preprogrammed. Custom programs can be created and saved for later use including wash cycles of up to 80 hours.

Fred Cheng, General Manager – HK & Overseas, SDL Atlas, in front of Vortex M6.

Fred Cheng said monitoring the real-time status is very important for the operators. “Vortex M6 can now connect with RemoteAccess, a revolutionary application that allows operators to track the real-time testing progress of instruments anytime and anywhere.”

The Launder-Ometer has also received a complete redesign adding a full-color touchscreen pre-loaded with standard tests and muti-language interface. It has an automatic door that opens and closes with the press of a button. Sensors automatically stop the rotor from turning when the door opens.

Launder-Ometer has received a complete redesign adding a full-color touchscreen pre-loaded.

Launder-Ometer can connect with RemoteAccess App.

Biancalani brought its AIRO24 Evo 5, the fifth evolution of the continuous tumbler dryer to ShanghaiTex 2019.

As introduced by Rossano Biancalani, President, Biancalani Srl, all kinds of products, such as natural fibers, artificial fibers and synthetic fibers can be treated by AIRO24 without limits in terms of weight and width. Results are obtained in complete safety and without defects for a high-quality finishing style.

Talking about the market development, Rossano Biancalani said: “2019 was not a very good year, especially at the beginning of this year. But now, customers are showing their interests again. They are thinking about new investments and new improvements of the production. This is a good sign for us.”

In addition, he was satisfied with the response of visitors during the show. “After the two-day of exhibition, we are going to sign some new contracts in a very short time. It seemed that the trend is much better for the next year.”

“We have a strong global presence in the market while India, China and Turkey are our main markets. Our turnover is around €15 million and I expect it will be higher next year as I can see some good changes in the market,” he added.

Rossano Biancalani, President, Biancalani Srl.

Rossano Biancalani also shared his observation for the latest customer’s requirements. “The customers want the machines which are connected to the internet so that they can check the machine status and control the machines from the office. For example, they can check the production cycles, get all the statistics, and make arrangement for future production.”

“Customers want to monitor the whole production process and machine performance immediately. They want to make sure the machines are under control,” he continued.

He highlighted that Biancalani’s machines do not create any pollution and the company ensures all the emissions are clean. “For most of our machines, the fabrics are always treated by air. We dry the fabric and at the same time make it soft. Aquaria, the new continuous and open-width washing machine, can wash all types of fabrics. As we are experienced in air treatment, we can use the air drying system also in this washing machine,” he said.

Moreover, he revealed that Biancalani has a plan to develop some parts of the machines in China in collaboration with the Chinese makers. With this collaboration, Biancalani may deliver its machines to other neighboring countries.

At the show, Bianco showcased its open-width compactor Bianco B-Kompact 600. The use of steam heated large diameter (600 mm) cylinders, with optional diathermic oil, ensures high production speed with good shrinkage.

In addition, combination with the setter also allows for adjustment of the height of the fabric. The B-Kompact 600, allows high production speeds with good fabric stability.

Open-width compactor Bianco B-Kompact 600.

In an interview with CTA, Luca Fabris, Area Sales Manager, Bianco spa, revealed that the turnover of the company reached €34 million in the last financial year.

“Our main markets are Bangladesh, Turkey, India and the Europe. Besides pushing our existing markets, we are also exploring some new markets in Eastern Africa and Northern Europe,” Fabris said.

Luca Fabris, Area Sales Manager, Bianco spa.

He further commented on the importance of the Chinese market. “China is our potential market. The Chinese market grew very fast last year. Our aim is to improve it to the first position. I expect the turnover of the Chinese market will reach€5-6 million in the next two years.”

According to Fabris, there are a lot of machine manufacturers in China, but the market requires experienced suppliers which offer high quality products. He said this is what Bianco can offer to the market. He also mentioned that energy saving will be the main direction in the industry in the next few years.

FADIS S.p.A. presented its new revolutionary high density electronic yarn guided precision winding range - SINCRO PLUS at the booth. According to Giuseppe Carabelli, President, FADIS S.p.A., the SINCRO PLUS range represents “a new concept of winding platform”.

Giuseppe Carabelli, President, FADIS S.p.A.

As introduced, the SINCRO PLUS range has TENS CONTROL electronic on-line yarn tension control system, on-line density control technology, as well as integrated automatic doffing system which is able to drastically reduce labor cost up to 80%.

Giuseppe Carabelli was not optimistic about the market outlook. “This year has been a little bit difficult as the Chinese market reduced purchase as well as production capacity. The projects are still there but the companies postponed them to a better moment. For the next year, I have a not very good expectation,” he said.

Commenting on the technology trends, he pointed out: “For the machines, it’s always about to have more connectivity. Now, more and more machines are connected to central system to transfer and to receive data. There are also more requests for special machines to reduce labor cost. These are the two main tendencies I see.”

“What's more, the availability of labor is a mounting issue. The workers are not easy to find now. So our customers come to us to request for automatic machines,” he explained.

He said, FADIS has a global presence in all major markets. “For us, China itself is a significant market, accounting for 25% of our turnover. On top of China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, Italy are also the main markets.”

According to him, quality and innovation are the top priorities of FADIS. “We put more than 10% of our turnover in R&D to develop more special machines for our customers. In addition, we produce 100% in Italy to ensure high quality products. We renewed our production line and use automatic robots to reduce labor cost and to be more efficient,” he concluded.

MCS Dyeing & Finishing Machinery introduced Dynamica, a vertical high-temperature rope-dyeing machine.

Dynamica can be configured to prepare, dye and wash delicate and light fabrics (which can be dyed in two-rope mode), as well as items featuring heavy weights per square metre. It comes in the Sprint, Kappa and Sample models along with the related mesh, upholstery and terry towel versions.

During an interview with CTA, Mirko Franzan, Sales Director, MCS Dyeing & Finishing Machinery said, as a member of the MCS Group, in addition to producing dyeing and finishing machines, the company also produces fabrics. As introduced, this is the biggest advantage of MCS because the company directly receives feedback from the market and responses to the demands very fast.

(Left) Mirko Franzan, Sales Director and Eng. Karim Kazi, Technologist, MCS Dyeing & Finishing Machinery.

“Last year, the Chinese market was very slow and we had fewer sales in China, but luckily, we compensated in the European market. Other countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, were also improving a little bit,” pointed out Franzan.

According to him, MCS Dyeing & Finishing Machinery gained a turnover of €30 million in 2018. The company also expected an increase of turnover of around 5-7% in 2020.

“At ShanghaiTex, visitors are looking for high-quality machines. In the first day of the show, we received very positive feedback from the visitors. Our group produces 100% in Italy in order to ensure quality products and good service.”

Meanwhile, Franzan commented that the trend in the industry is very clear. “The first question our customers made is: How much is the consumption of the machine? They are concerned about the water and power consumption during the production. In addition, the government is also pushing the end-users to look at the environmental impacts,” he said.

Thies GmbH & Co. KG introduced its latest products for fibre, yarn and fabric dyeing at the booth.

One of the highlights was the yarn dyeing machine iCone, which is ideal for bleaching and dyeing fibre in different forms like packages, warp beams, combed tops or flock. With the help of modern flow analysis tools, the pipe systems, the pumps and their impellers have been optimized, reducing pressure losses and power consumption.

The machine is very flexible and matches diverse requirements. The delivery spectrum of the iCone is complemented by the very latest, user-friendly control system. Its “green functions” provide standardized programs for exploiting the optimization potential of different process steps.

During an interview, Ralf H. Stange, Sales Manager (Far East), Thies GmbH & Co. KG, shared his insights on the market. “The Asian market, as a whole, is the most important market for us in terms of sales volume and number of machines. We are not only in Asia - we are diversified in other markets. In Europe, there are requests for special machinery for technical textiles. In Middle America and North America, we are still dominant in certain machine areas,” Stange explained.

Stange named a few important markets in Asia, such as Vietnam, Korea, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“We see a lot of major players are interested to have their export business shifting out of China into Vietnam. Vietnam is attractive for investors because of the free trade agreement. The major players do not close their factories in China and they are still producing for the domestic market. But for the export business, they are moving out of China,” he pointed out.

Ralf H. Stange, Sales Manager (Far East), Thies GmbH & Co. KG.

According to him, in the last few years, the sportswear market is growing drastically in terms of sales volume and turnover.

“Nowadays, the business has changed quite a lot. The sportswear brands, such as Adidas and Nike, are much more involved in the process. They came to us to find out the latest technologies. They are also interested in environmental issues and recycling technologies. For the consumers, they like to have sportswear or leisure wear in their daily lives. It becomes a trend these days.”

Stange said, the new factories nowadays have a very high level of automation in order to reduce labor cost and eliminate human mistake. More importantly, automated operation can ensure in-time delivery.

“Industry 4.0 has been a big part of our discussion these days. A lot of our Chinese customers are driving to this direction. They want to have maximum data and connectivity from ERP systems down to the machines,” he said.

For example, he said, the sales department can see the data in the whole production process. The salesperson can get all the production information in the downstream and then inform the customers the latest status.

Thies is focusing on energy and water savings and on reducing all resources being used in all the process. “Our aim is to deliver optimum operation. When we develop our machines, we always look at the market needs. In addition to Industry 4.0, the way to zero discharge is another focus. Wastewater treatment is a big issue. If you can reduce or reuse the wastewater, this will be a big step for zero discharge,” he added.

Talking about the future development of the company, he disclosed: “We constantly work on the development for new products. We are excited that we will release a new product next year and it is expected to have a good impact for the industry.”

BTSR’s ULTRAFEEDER2, a top-selling yarn constant tension feeder, is now available with an innovative “yarn storage and release” solution, the UNICO2 device.

The new patented UNICO2 device was specifically designed for hosiery and knitting applications. It is able to automatically compensate sudden and high yarn absorption variations, by featuring both positive yarn constant tension control as well as yarn storage and release capabilities.

According to BTSR, UNICO2 guarantees top quality standards for the textile products by allowing the machine to operate at maximum speed and efficiency. Besides, UNICO2 comes with graduation compression function for unlimited new product styles and fashion features capability.

The device is suitable for a wide range of textile applications: hosiery (high stitch selection capability), socks (toe & heel), seamless (extreme patterns and all yarns applications by replacing traditional storage feeders), flat knitting and upper shoes (reverse function capability), circular knitting (striper and striper jacquard application). In addition, it adopts the user-friendly, plug & play setup.

At ShanghaiTex 2019, ULTRAFEEDER2 feeders equipped with UNICO2 devices were showcased to visitors at BTSR’s company booth. 

The ULTRAFEEDER2 feeder combined with the UNICO2 device in a plug & play setup.

Angelo Rizzo, Sales & Marketing General Manager at BTSR INTERNATIONAL, was satisfied with the show which provided a good platform for the company to meet machine maker customers and its worldwide distributors.

Regarding the textile machinery market in 2020, Angelo Rizzo commented that it is difficult to forecast at the moment, and the picture will be clearer after Q1 of the year.

For BTSR, the textile division has diversified its activities in various markets in addition to the consolidated seamless and hosiery sectors, with growing results in yarn preparation market. 

Chinese market represents one of the main company business areas by overcoming 30% of textile division global business and by representing a milestone for BTSR future business development.

Angelo Rizzo also updated the progress of Industry 4.0 implementation of BTSR on its products. The company has launched specific monitoring software which is able to remote control the production at the shop floor. The software comes with a basic package and optional service assistances to satisfy different customer needs.

Angelo Rizzo, Sales & Marketing General Manager at BTSR INTERNATIONAL (right) and J.Chen, Sales & Technical Service Manager at BTSR SHANGHAI.

A. Piovan manufactures roller coverings and technical articles in rubber, polyurethane and silicone. In addition to the textile industry, the company also works for many other industries such the iron and steel, paper, packaging, etc.

“ShanghaiTex is always an important show for us as China is a big export market for our products,” said Laura Capovilla, R&D Manager.

For the company, the market in 2019 has been a little bit slower than usual due to global economic slowdown and trade negotiations. However, she is quite optimistic about the market in 2020, expecting that growth will start again.

At present, Chinese market accounts for about 35% of A. Piovan's global sales, and textile is the main application industry in this market for the company’s products.

“As more and more Chinese producers are looking for high-end equipment to satisfy the quality requirements from exports, we are positive in the future of the Chinese textile industry,” she commented. 

Laura Capovilla, R&D Manager at A. Piovan.

Laura Capovilla emphasized that A. Piovan pays a lot of attention in product quality, and its products have long service life time.

The flexibility to customize products is another competitive advantage of A. Piovan. “The company can address the special requirements of customers. We can provide different products for different fabrics,” she added.

For example, the company provides three different sanfor rubber belts depending on the fabric sanforized: denim - high weight fabric; shirting – light fabric; poliestere – viscose fabric.

The A. Piovan sanfor belt uses a particular type of rubber that shows a “gummy” surface with major friction upon fabric, assuring a higher shrinkage when compared to current articles in the market under the same parameters.

Moreover, the constant hardness and other mechanical features during the use of the belt guarantee an optimum shrinking action through time.

Products of A. Piovan are all made in Italy.

All products and related components are manufactured in Italy so that the manufacturing processes and quality are under full control. Despite the importance of the Chinese market, the company has no plan for production in China for now.

“The know-how is very crucial to us and it takes years to teach the skills of the manufacturing. Therefore, we stay in Italy at the moment,” Laura Capovilla explained.

Toscana Spazzole Industriali (TSI) offers solution of industrial brushes. Industrial textile and nonwoven brushes are the company’s core businesses.

With over 30 years of experience working with the biggest manufacturers of finishing textile machines, it is one of the leaders in the market.

The flexibility, quality and reliability of products are the competitive advantages of TSI. The company is capable to design and manufacture customized brushes according to special technical features.

The materials of all TSI brushes s are chosen with the strict European standards to ensure the products are of high quality.

Toscana Spazzole Industriali specializes in design and manufacture industrial brushes.

At the show, Ferraro introduced its internationally patented scouring machine Rotoclean. It is an advanced system for weaving oil removal.

It treats any fabric containing elastomer, and removes the oil, paraffin and wax used in the yarn dyeing process.

A patented system composed of pressurized spray tubes, with a motorized system, constantly rotates at a controlled speed that allows a high exchange of water and intensive washing of the surface of the fabric to remove all impurities.

This special patented technology allows to reduce considerably the emission of harmful fumes typical of the drying process, effectively eliminating the problem of smoke reduction. In fact, among all, the main feature of the machine is its environmental compatibility.


Ferraro's booth at the show.


Ferraro introduced its internationally patented scouring machine Rotoclean at the show.