“The latest energy-optimised Monforts stenter frame – especially combined with a downstream Eco Applicator – sets new benchmarks in terms of energy efficiency. Following ITMA 2019, we have a busy schedule of trials now booked at our ATC – Advanced Technology Centre – in Germany, with customers keen to assess the benefits to their own processes. We were extremely happy with this year’s show.
On the very latest Monforts machines, advanced sensor technologies make it possible to access comprehensive technical machine data from any location using the company’s Smart Support and Smart Check apps. Monforts customers in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Turkey are already benefiting from the Industry 4.0 advances introduced by Monforts at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, including the new ‘digital twinning’ capability.
The data is virtually mapped in the cloud in real time and provides an instant status overview of a machine’s performance. This makes vastly simplified and targeted analysis for controlled planning and production possible and insights harnessed from the data can subsequently be used to optimise the production process. At the same time, potential sources of error can be anticipated and eliminated remotely to considerably minimise downtime.
Parts prediction
In addition, the digital twin system provides information on the individual wear parts of a system, such as, for example, converters or gears.
“Operators can now see how long a part will last and when it needs to be maintained or replaced and direct access to the integrated Monforts webshop allows users to order spares at the press of the button when they are needed,” explains new Monforts textile technologist Jonas Beisel. “The Monforts digital twin system and apps are being made available for all of our machine ranges going forward and will make the operations of our customers considerably smarter, and at the same time, simpler. There was tremendous interest in what these developments make possible.”
New savings
Advanced textile manufacturers from Europe and North America were also keen to learn more about the potential of the latest Montex stenters, on which overall energy savings of 40% can now be achieved compared to a conventional stenter with no heat recovery or energy optimisation measures.
“Exhaust air treatment on stenter frames has posed particular challenges over the years, since the air can contain significant amounts of oil, fibre and even wax particles that may see emissions limits being reached in the processing of certain fabrics, depending on the legal specifications,” says Daria Hoss-Denissen of the Monforts project department. “In addressing this issue, we are now incorporating the MonforClean module directly into the stenter frame. The waste heat from the drying process is used to pre-heat the drying air, resulting in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required compared to gas and thermal oil heating.”
The further integration of an automatic exhaust air filter washing system automatically cleans the module elements, ensuring the consistent efficiency of both the filter and heat recovery modules, while advanced slot sealings based on a patented new flexible material hermetically seal the stenter frameat the infeed and outfeed while constantly adjusting to the profile of the different fabrics being processed.
New Monforts publications chart
The first edition of Monforts World of European Textiles profiles a range of companies at the forefront of manufacturing in Europe serving a wide range of end-use markets – from high-end silk and polyamide fabrics for the luxury brands to nonwovens and technical textiles for digital printing, protective clothing, wallcoverings and more.
The seventh edition of Monforts World of Denim meanwhile charts the latest developments from the global market leaders in denim production. Monforts enjoys a global lead in the supply of finishing technology for the denim industry and is currently extremely busy responding to the interest shown at ITMA 2019 in its new CYD yarn dyeing system for this market.
CYD is a big hit with ‘Denim Triangle’ visitors at ITMA 2019
The new Monforts yarn dyeing technology is being made commercially available at exactly the right time for fabric differentiation and cost efficiencies, if the initial market reaction at ITMA 2019 is anything to go by. A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG was inundated with requests for trials on its new CYD yarn dyeing pilot line by the leading denim manufacturers at ITMA 2019.
Details of the new CYD system were issued just prior to the ‘Textile Machinery Olympics’, which took place in Barcelona, Spain, from June 20-26, and throughout the seven-day show, the company received a constant stream of visitors, particularly from the so-called ‘Denim Triangle’ – Bangladesh, India and Pakistan – seeking further information.
“It was non-stop,” says Monforts Head of Denim Hans Wroblowski. “Competition in the denim industry is currently fierce, and the major players are looking for technologies that will really give them the competitive edge, which we know this technology can provide, because it was developed in response to an already very strong demand from the market. We have a fully-operational line now installed at our ATC (Advanced Technology Centre) at our headquarters in Germany and it’s already now heavily booked out.”
Econtrol®
Monforts CYD denim technology is based on the Econtrol® technique* – the most effective and established dyeing process for denim fabrics that is now being applied for yarn dyeing.
Econtrol® is a pad-dry process employed in Monforts continuous dyeing in which the reactive dyestuff is fixed to the cellulose fibres during drying.
The fixing medium is a controlled by a steam/air mixture within the Monforts Thermex unit. With sulphur and reactive dyes in particular, the improvement in both dyed fabric quality and dye fixation is considerable, and with significant savings in energy and time due to the combined bleaching and padder fixation. The use of the Econtrol T-CA technique opens a further step ahead by dyeing yarn blends of cotton/polyester etc.
Weaving preparation
The CYD system also integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparation processes – spinning, direct beaming, warping and assembly beaming, followed by sizing and dyeing – in order to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity.
The multi-colour yarn dyeing system introduces a number of new concepts, including the unique Eco Bleach process.
This is the first bleaching system for yarn treatment available on the market and is combined with the washing units, after which the fabric is then dyed immediately, resulting in considerable savings in wastewater and chemicals.
It is also possible to process short batches of yarn in order to produce minimum runs of finished fabrics in a single continuous process. By comparing the usual processing sequences within the denim industry with the new CYD system, the advantages become immediately clear.
“We are now anticipating a very busy period,” Hans Wroblowski concludes. “This new technology has the potential to really move the global denim industry forward.”
