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VDMA and Monforts to present joint paper on sustainability at AUTEX World Textile Conference

Monforts has been actively involved from the beginning of the VDMA Blue competence activities, with energy management as one of its primary goals.

27th March 2015

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Moenchengladbach

Sustainable, Industrial

Peter Tolksdorf, Head of Technology, Monforts. © A. Monforts TextilmaschinenNicolai Strauch of Germany’s VDMA textile machinery manufacturers association and Peter Tolksdorf, Head of Technology, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen, will present a joint paper that will focus on enabling energy efficiency and resource saving at the AUTEX World Textile Conference that will take place from 10-12 June in Bucharest, Romania. The following is a synopsis of the paper.

With volatile commodity and energy prices as well as requirements from brands, retailers, consumers and governments, sustainability has become a significant competitive factor for textile manufacturers, associations report.

Furthermore, sustainability is a subject to which the textile industry is increasingly confronted by legislation, by brands and retailers and by consumers.

German mechanical engineering industry

The German mechanical engineering industry plays a prominent role in developing and realising sustainable solutions, such as effective solutions for new energy concepts and effective handling of scarce resources.

The VDMA, the German textile Machinery Association, has assumed patronage of the Blue Competence sustainability initiative, which aims to interconnect all of Germany’s mechanical engineering industry. It pools the resources, know-how and strengths of VDMA members.

Textile machinery is one of 30 different mechanical engineering branches within Blue Competence and can be designed for the different demand profiles of the textile manufacturer, depending on the textile product and the specific process. In other words, the textile producer directly affects the specific energy use in many ways.

Management criteria and process standards

Blue Competence defines management criteria and process standards, which apply to all alliance members taking part in the initiative.

Marked with the Blue Competence logo, alliance member companies are responsible for following engineering design guidelines with sustainability criteria over the entire lifecycle of a machine, presenting product documentation and instructions in a resource friendly manner.

Matex Eco Applicator has become an example showing how the Blue Competence concept can influence the R&D activities. © A. Monforts Textilmaschinen

Alliance members have to offer expert advice on energy efficiency and resource conservation for the daily operating process. They are also responsible for maintaining a management system setting and monitoring sustainability and quality targets.

Energy efficiency at Monforts

Energy efficiency is an integral part of sustainability. For the start of the Blue Competence initiative, VDMA published an energy efficiency guide, describing parameters influencing its energy efficiency and prerequisites for a comparable assessment.

Monforts has been actively involved from the beginning of the VDMA Blue competence activities. Energy management has been one of Monforts primary goals for many years, driving the company to develop energy efficient and resource conserving solutions.

For many years textile finishing has operated with chemical and thermal processes which, by present-day standards, can have a severe impact on the environment. The energy costs of these processes are high, and the use of chemicals is essential. With innovative ranges and advanced auxiliaries, Monforts has succeeded in optimising these processes.

As part of its efforts, Monforts has identified economic targets and examples of particular sustainable products and processes, developed product documentation that contains guidelines for sustainable use of the product, and started utilising electrical and electronic components with highest efficiency. The company also provides service and consultancy to improve sustainability related to its products.

Monforts Eco Applicator

Matex Eco Applicator has become an example showing how the Blue Competence concept can influence the R&D activities. It is a unit, designed to significantly reduce the initial moisture content before the drying process.

The ECO Applicator ensures reduced energy consumption, faster drying and higher productivity compared with standard equipment, such as padding systems, the company reports.

Padding is a process employed in the textile industry for wet treatment of textiles. The fabric or substrate is transported through a trough containing the finishing or dying liquor. During the further course of the production process, the substrate is transported through rollers to remove the excess liquor.

A liquor absorption of 70 % means that 100 kg of textile fabric has to absorb 70 kg of liquor. After the impregnation process, the wetted fabric is dried in a final step by means of a Montex stenter. For this process, drying energy is required which, in the textile finishing industry, is a major cost factor.

Influencing factors for the energy consumption and costs of drying processes are the initial moisture content, residual moisture content, drying temperature and relative water vapuor content of the ambient air.

Benefits

Using Monforts Matex ECO Applicator to reduce the liquor pick up, is said to result in less evaporation heat and lower operating costs.

With the ECO Applicator, the liquor is not applied to the fabric by dipping it through a trough but by using steel rollers, which transfer the required amount of liquor onto the fabric. With lower waste water contamination, the application unit becomes a resource-conserving alternative to padding.  

The ECO Applicator has a wide range of potential uses: the liquor can be applied to one or both sides of the substrate, or different liquors can be applied to the front and rear sides. Small liquor contents mean low residual liquor volumes. Compared with conventional systems, an extremely precise application without any diluting effects can be achieved, according to the manufacturer.

www.monforts.com

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