The company is using Frankfurt to argue that modernization of installed finishing machinery can be a faster and more economical response to tighter efficiency, quality and compliance demands than full replacement.
iNTERSPARE Textilmaschinen GmbH will use Techtextil 2026 to spotlight modernization and upgrade strategies for technical textile finishing, with the company focusing on developments across its Krantz, Artos and Babcock (BTM) lines.
The core message is that finishing plants are under pressure from multiple directions at once: more demanding technical textile substrates, greater sustainability requirements, higher energy costs, stricter regulatory expectations and the growing need for digital integration. In that environment, the company is positioning retrofits and control-system modernization not as secondary service work, but as a strategic tool for extending machine life, improving process stability and shortening payback periods.
Krantz K30 remains central to the pitch
A key product focus is the Krantz K30 stenter, which iNTERSPARE says is designed for demanding finishing applications where handle, abrasion resistance, durability and low-tension transport matter. The company’s own product description emphasizes the patented Econ-Air system for energy-efficient airflow and the machine’s low-tension fabric guidance, while the Techtextil exhibitor profile also highlights energy savings and gentle treatment as core differentiators.
Retrofit economics move into the foreground
The more commercially important theme may be EMU — expansion, modernization and upgrading. iNTERSPARE says typical retrofit work includes replacing legacy Siemens S5 controls with VIPA systems, switching out Masterdrive converters for Lenze modules and substituting industrial PCs with Siemens Comfort Panels. Heating-system changes are also part of the offer. The rationale is straightforward: lower energy use, better availability and compliance with newer digital and cybersecurity expectations, including those shaped by the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act.
The company is also reintroducing the Artos Vari-Flex foulard, aimed at flexible liquor application and integration into existing finishing lines. Together with recent Krantz orders from India and other Asian markets, the presentation suggests iNTERSPARE is leaning on a familiar industry truth: in finishing, competitive advantage often comes less from headline innovation than from making installed assets run better, longer and with more control.
