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Industry Talk

Best practice in sustainability discussed at VDMA press conference in Frankfurt

VDMA member companies Trützschler, August Herzog Maschinenfabrik and Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment shared their perspectives on sustainability at Techtextil.

12th May 2015

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Frankfurt

Sustainable, Clothing/​Footwear, Industrial

On the occasion of a VDMA press conference that took place at the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt last week, speakers from member companies Trützschler, August Herzog Maschinenfabrik and Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment shared their perspectives on sustainability, discussing a variety of topics from corporate culture to textile machines as enablers for textile products for recovering energy.

In 2011 already, VDMA has assumed patronage of the Blue Competence sustainability initiative. It aims to interconnect all of Germany’s mechanical engineering industry, pooling the resources, know-how and strengths of VDMA members.

In March 2015, VDMA Textile Machinery Association and Euratex agreed upon collaboration of VDMA’s Blue Competence initiative and Euratex-led Energy Made-to-Measure campaign – the initiative for energy efficiency in the European textile and clothing industry.

Resource optimisation and environmental protection

With regard to sustainability, Dr Dirk Burger, CEO / Managing Director of Trützschler, stated that the company makes a distinction between resource optimisation and environmental protection. In the context of resource optimisation, Trützschler addresses matters, such as lower energy consumption, optimised use of raw materials, low maintenance costs and investment protection.

“All these points combined optimise total cost of ownership for the customer, which make them extremely important selling points”, said Dr Burger. Examples of Trützschler functions in this field include energy measuring devices that display energy consumption, and sensors for minimising waste in the machines.

f.l.t.r. Sascha Oehl (Product Manager, Veit), Elgar Straub (VDMA). © Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

The company has been actively committed for a long time to environmental protection objectives. The company’s noise emission profile is significantly below all worldwide standards.

Braiding technology for energy recovery

Dr Janpeter Horn, Managing Director of August Herzog Maschinenfabrik, an Oldenburg company, showed how braiding technology is making contribution to energy recovery. Offshore extraction of oil and gas is a field of activity not just for oil companies but also for August Herzog.

“In work on open sea, conventional steel cables are being replaced increasingly with lightweight, synthetic fibre ropes that float on the water,” explained Dr Horn. According to him, these braids are endowed with significantly better properties and can be used at much greater depths than steel, for lifting loads, lowering parts, or mooring rigs and ships.

 “We provide the technology for this. The braided synthetic ropes that are produced in this way are self-supporting in the water. This enables great strength at much greater depth,” he continued.

Economy, ecology and social activities

André Wissenberg, Vice President Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment, explained that sustainability has always been playing a significant role in the company’s strategy. The so-called e-save programme already started in 2004.

André Wissenberg, Vice President and Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Oerlikon. © Oerlikon

“Sustainability is covering economy, ecology and social activities, that’s why our efforts are addressing customers as well as our employees”, said Wissenberg. “Our latest WINGS technology (Winder Integrated Godet Solution) reduces the average energy consumption per tonne of POY (Pre-oriented Yarn) by 40% and that of FDY (Fully-drawn Yarn) by as much as 55% compared to the machines produced in the mid-1990s.”

“In Remscheid, the recently developed one-piece flow concept was used both for a new assembly line, and for the production of the change bars, which resulted in an increase of 15% in production capacity and ergonomic benefits for the assembly personnel. At the same time, energy consumption was reduced.”

ITMA 2015

“Today’s presentations are just a few examples showing that sustainability is an integral part in the business of our member companies,” summarised Thomas Waldmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.

Elgar Straub, Managing Director Garment and Leather Technology, VDMA, also presented at the press conference. © Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

“With regard to the economic and ecological aspects of sustainability, VDMA member companies will provide profound technological answers on how to adjust to volatile energy and commodity prices as well as ecological requirements from governments, brands, retailers, and consumers at ITMA 2015 in November in Milan.”

In the run-up to this event VDMA will publish a series of best practice examples that show how member companies are addressing the ITMA motto Master the art of sustainable innovation with their technologies and concepts.

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