Stäubli's Innovations Have Been Very Well Received During ITMA

Rendezvous

Stäubli's Innovations Have Been Very Well Received During ITMA

A bouquet of innovations was Staubli's foray at the 2015 ITMA in Milan. The visitors got a chance to interact with the experts at the booth and experience the new technologies first hand at the elaborate Staubli booth. We spoke with Fritz Legler, Vice President, Marketing/ Sales & Services, Stäubli to know a little more about what's in store for the industry.

A series of Jacquard machines have been presented at ITMA 2015. What are the cutting edge functionalities that distinguish Stäubli's products from the rest?

Stäubli showed its new range of Jacquard machines for the first time during ITMA in Milano last year. The new range comprises SX, LX and LXL models with latest developments in kinematics, enlarged load capacity and increased application flexibility. Furthermore, latest module versions were shown to visitors at the Stäubli booth. The evident results are higher performance and longevity of our jacquards.

ITMA visitors quickly appreciated that Stäubli's system know-how in jacquard weaving is very profound and that the combination of its latest jacquard machines, together with its modules, harnesses and jacquard healds is tantamount to a high-performance operation in a professional weaving environment. Stäubli`s leadership position in jacquard machinery was clearly demonstrated and welcomed by thousands of visitors to our booth.

Stäubli has its products and solutions from weaving preparation to carpet weaving to technical textiles. Which are the segments that drive the growth of textile business of Stäubli?

It is our daily goal and obligation to grow in all our textile activities across the globe. Be it in the field of warp preparation technology - automation is key these days - everybody agrees that Industry 4.0 is gaining importance and this is where we start with our automation technology. Be it in the area of shed forming technology - weaving machinery suppliers as well as end users have come to appreciate the level of performance and quality of our dobbies or cam motions - as well as jacquard machines as already hinted at above.

We are making daily inroads with our Schönherr Carpet Systems and our Stäubli Technical Weaving Systems. Last but not least, our Deimo Knitting Solution is gaining ground and importance as we go along. Thus, our textile product portfolio is our growth engine across the board.

How are the weavers going to benefit qualitatively and on cost quotient with the new generation machines launched in ITMA?

It goes without saying that running cost considerations are key aspect and that our existing as well as prospective customers are looking at those important aspects more and more. Total cost of ownership is what we have to focus on. Footprint considerations are therefore also very important. We intend to offer attractive overall solutions which cater to those important aspects which mean that besides higher performance levels, our customers should expect lower running costs, better life-cycle costs with our attractive investment propositions. Needless to say that the end users have to properly maintain their equipment and use original spare parts to get the highest out of their investment.

How high do Stäubli's machines score on the sustainability parameters?

This is in the eye of the beholder! From an engineering point of view, we know that through mass reductions, optimized gear trains, the reduction of parts in movement and parts per se or their reduced friction and so forth, the basics are given for a high sustainability of our products and solutions.

What impressions Stäubli carries home from ITMA 2015? In terms of markets which would be the key markets for the company in 2016 and what are the emerging trends in weaving sector?

If the outcome of ITMA Milano were the measure for success in 2016 and beyond, it would be a good omen. IT is clear to us that we bank our hopes on countries like India, China, Bangladesh, Turkey or FID going into Vietnam. If ITMA showed one thing as well - then it was that there was no quantum leap in technology in the weaving sector. Trends are to be found in areas of automation, big data, flexibility and versatility of textile machinery.