Saurer Expands Its Portfolio, Putting Customer Needs Front And Centre

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Saurer Expands Its Portfolio, Putting Customer Needs Front And Centre

At ITMA 2019, Saurer Group's team of over 100 people had their hands full, receiving well over 3000 visitors during the show. Vikas Sharan, Director, India Operations, Saurer Textile Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is optimistic about the markets and the prospects for the company, as he talks about the industry's overwhelming response to the company's game-changing innovations presented during the show. The Saurer booth was buzzing with visitors and activity throughout the show. What attracted visitors? Yes, we really had excellent visits from customers right from the first day of the show, and surprisingly, most of the owners were there. Obviously, the industry expects to see new technologies during ITMA. At the Saurer booth, the audience was wowed by our new air-spinning machine - the Saurer Autoairo -which we launched. This is an incredibly economical and flexible air-spinning machine. Autoairo is based on worldwide market-proven spinning technologies. It is highly automated, the individual drive technology is based on our well-established rotor-spinning machine Autocoro and for the drafting performance we rely on our ring spinning technology. In order to demonstrate our flexibility we displayed at the exhibition our flagship model Autocoro on one side of the machine, while on the other side, it was air spinning. On this side, we showcased the machine working with four different types of materials: cotton, PC and two different types of viscose. Our new air-spinning machine was a major attraction during the show - visitors were impressed with its sleekness, flexibility, features like piecing technology and the latest Industry 4.0 concept we are offering. With the introduction of Autoairo, Saurer now offers products in all the three technology segments of spinning: ring spinning (long and short staple, compact, non-compact), open-end spinning and now air spinning. There were a lot of firsts for visitors to see at our booth. We also introduced lab instruments for qualitative testing of fibre and yarn, another new offering for customers. Then there was the new Autocard in 1.38m working width and the Autodraw AL auto-levelling draw frame. As we know already from the fully automated rotor-spinning machine Autocoro, the AutoBD can be adapted to the automation needs of spinning mills, i.e. with newly introduced SynchroPiecing, an integrated piecing process in the spinning unit. Senses, our new mill management system, which can connect to all the spinning machinery in a spinning mill, provides real-time data that can be viewed on all devices, including smart phones, tablets and laptops. Moreover we presented the fifth generation of our direct cabling machine CableCorder CC5. Like with most of our machines, this innovation features smart technology, including quality control and software solutions. Visitors also got to experience the splendor of embellished wedding dresses, created using our Epoca 7 embroidery machine. The entire embroidery production process - from the first drawing to the final stitch - can be done using Saurer offerings. Visitors experienced a lot of positivity as we welcomed everyone, and showed our machines to all - customers and competitors alike. The response from across the globe, particularly from India, was excellent. Post-ITMA, what are your goals? This ITMA was a big success for Saurer. The number of footfalls have been great. We had the pleasure of welcoming thousands of visitors to the stand, including many decision makers. Hence, we are quite excited, fully aware of the fact that the current geopolitical situation is impacting the industry substantially. Our aim is nevertheless to establish our products across all the segments with respectable market shares, backed by a talented and motivated team. These days, it is not just about buying and selling a machine anymore, there are a lot of activities around the transaction, and Saurer is well- equipped to handle that. We see the textile industry from the customers' perspective and want to deliver tailor-made solutions suited to each client's individual needs. What plans does Saurer have for its Indian operations? We are currently manufacturing the roving and ring frames along with spindles and drafting systems in India. This will continue. Since India is strategically an important market for Saurer, we also have a growing selection of original parts available in storage facilities in two locations in the country. This ensures easy access to and for customers, thus avoiding longer routing. We are actively collaborating with spinning accessories suppliers such as can and bobbin manufacturers, OHTC, YCS, etc. Saurer will not move into manufacturing these products, but we would like to collaborate with quality suppliers to offer the customer a 'one-stop shop' experience. We are constantly evaluating our footprint strategy with the aim of gaining greater insight into the market. This is a vital part of our strategy to provide appropriate solutions for a specific market and have short delivery times. The customer today looks at the entire package - labour, machine, brand, relationship marketing, sales and service, and - most importantly-innovation, because innovation will drive our company forward. Saurer places a lot of emphasis on R&D-as was evident at ITMA 2019. Finally, what is your message to the industry? With Saurer, it's possible. Saurer is one-we will use our extensive experience and knowledge from a range of business units to your advantage. We power your creation - this is our purpose, our raison d'être.