The raising machine was introduced by Monforts Advanced Technology Centre at the end of the 19th century and represented a game-changer at that time due to the use of low friction ball bearings for its raising rollers
A 36-roller raising machine manufactured in the year 1918 has recently been delivered to its final retirement home – as a historic showpiece at the Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Mönchengladbach, Germany. The machine remained in operation at a plant in Poland up until early 2000 and has now been handed back in full working condition to its manufacturer. Veterans Walter Dresen and Fred Vohdahl – both having worked for the company for more than 50 years and now retired – ensured the smooth landing of the machine as it was unloaded from its delivery truck.
The raising machine was introduced by Monforts Advanced Technology Centre at the end of the 19th century and represented a game-changer at that time due to the use of low friction ball bearings for its raising rollers. This greatly reduced the wear and maintenance of the raising rollers and was a first for the market. “We are proud to have such an old-timer now on display at our ATC. It demonstrates the spirit of innovation that has been a part of Monforts since the company was founded in 1884 and is now in our genes,” said Nicole Croonenbroek, Marketing Manager, Monforts.
“Our two former colleagues – Walter Dresen, our head of service for many years, and Fred Vohsdahl, who was the manager of the ATC until his recent retirement – took charge of the rebuild and restoration work. They have been able to find and replace the leather transmission belts which were the crucial drive element between what would originally have been a steam engine and the raising machine in the textile mill. Visitors will be interested to see this example of Monforts’ Industry 1.0 engineering and can compare it to the latest Industry 4.0 features of our latest finishing lines at the ATC,” Croonenbroek added.
Despite any current travel restrictions, the Monforts Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) is fully operational for industrial-scale trials which go beyond lab or pilot plant testing, to be run by highly experienced staff on behalf of customers. Ever since its opening in 2013, an investment of over Euro 3 million has been made in equipment at the ATC which over an area of 1,200 sq. metres houses two full finishing lines and is engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes based around the industry-leading Montex stenter. This is in addition to a Thermex range for continuous fabric dyeing and the newly developed CYD process for yarn dyeing.