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TexCar pulls in the crowds at Techtextil for Groz-Beckert

For this year’s Techtextil show in June, German textile machinery powerhouse Groz-Beckert exhibited a car which was specially prepared so that nearly all of the technical textiles used in its manufacture were visible - parts of the Mercedes E-Class T model were cut away to reveal the cutting edge technical textiles based components. At the company’s 276 m² booth, the TexCar exhibit attracted a large crowd of around 2600 people from over 60 countries.

1st July 2013

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Frankfurt am Main

Transport/​Aerospace, Industrial, Agriculture, Packaging, Civil Engineering, Construction, Interiors

For this year’s Techtextil show in June, German textile machinery powerhouse Groz-Beckert exhibited a car which was specially prepared so that nearly all of the technical textiles used in its manufacture were visible - parts of the Mercedes E-Class T model were cut away to reveal the cutting edge technical textiles based components. At the company’s 276 m² booth, the TexCar exhibit attracted a large crowd of around 2600 people from over 60 countries.

TexCar stood at the centre of Groz-Beckert’s booth and demonstrated ‘trans-technologically’ which technical textile end products can be made with Groz-Beckert products.  Almost all of the textiles used in the manufacture of the vehicle were unveiled with examples of car parts made from nonwovens, knitted and woven fabrics and tufted products being clearly visible.

The car stood on a bridge section made of textile-reinforced concrete which reflected the now famous Groz-Beckert sponsored foot bridge in its home town of Albstadt. A video installation explained the car in more detail and demonstrated the functions of the textile elements in the car and another video featured the development of the TexCar from the planning, to the cut, to the finished exhibit. Both videos will soon be available on the Groz-Beckert website.

Carbon fibre brake brakes revealed on TexCar

“The TexCar sprang surprises, since textiles can be found in a car where one would not expect them. One example is the cut open carbon fibre brakes where nonwovens can be found. Another example is the safety belt. The woven polyester band has linked belt edges, and the bar tacking is a sewing operation,” Groz-Beckert said.

Insertion competition

Another Groz-Beckert crowd pleaser at Techtextil was its ‘insertion competition’ using the company’s new NeedleMaster.

The Groz-Beckert NeedleMaster is a piece of equipment for needlepunch nonwovens manufacturers that enables efficient insertion of needles into the needle boards. Insertion can be done at least three times faster than by hand, depending on the needle board spacing and in order to show how fast one person can insert the needles with this system, Groz-Beckert hosted an insertion competition at its booth.

More than 40 participants tried to insert 140 needles into a needle board row as fast as possible. In the end, with a time of 1 minute 8 seconds, Fabian Wolf of TU Dresden won the first prize, an iPhone 5

More than 40 participants tried to insert 140 needles into a needle board row as fast as possible. In the end, with a time of 1 minute 8 seconds, Fabian Wolf of TU Dresden won the first prize, an iPhone 5 – very nice. The second prize, an iPad, went to Fabrice Lorenzi of Faurecia, and the third prize, an iPad mini, went to Daniel Toncelli of Laviosa Chimica Mineraria.

Groz-Beckert is the world's leading provider of industrial machine needles, precision parts and fine tools as well as systems and services for the production and joining of textile fabrics. Its products and services support the fields of knitting, weaving, felting, tufting and sewing. Founded in 1852, the company today employs around 8000 people and has a turnover of over € 500 million. Groz-Beckert is active worldwide, with agencies, production and distribution subsidiaries in more than 150 countries around the world.

At this year’s Techtextil in Frankfurt 1,322 companies from 48 countries presented their ranges of products and services, with approximately 27,500 visitors from 97 countries attending the exhibition.

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