German team’s strategic thrust on energy efficiency, cost cutting

Efficient textile production will be the main topic at ITMA Asia + CITME 2012. Government regulations aiming at higher energy efficiency have been passed in China and India. Adjusting to volatile energy and commodity prices as well as ecological requirements from retailers and consumers provide a challenge for textile producers throughout Asia. The member-companies of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association are well prepared to give ITMA Asia visitors profound answers on how to increase energy or material efficiency so as to combat cost pressure and to fulfill the needs of the market.

China’s Five-Year Plan focus

China’s textile industry is entering a new era: Countries like India, Bangladesh or Vietnam are leveraging cost advantages to compete with China for international markets. The 12th Five-Year Plan of China is aiming high. “The Chinese textile industry is facing a transformation process in the years ahead. The 12th Five-Year Plan sets ambitious goals. Sophisticated textile products for high-end markets, enhanced productivity, energy savings and emission reductions are just some key words that describe the tasks for the Chinese textile sector. All this requires technological upgradation”, explains Fritz P. Mayer, Managing Associate of Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik and Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.

The German technology suppliers can play a major role to reach the targets in the upcoming change process of the Chinese textile industry. ITMA Asia 2012 provides an excellent platform for the German textile machinery companies to demonstrate how their products and services can help the Chinese textile sector to evolve into a modern high-tech industry”, Mayer adds.

Blue Competence

New technical solutions are increasingly considered with regard to their economic and ecological efficiency. But for textile producers it is not easy to get an orientation, because the whole discussion about efficiency criteria and comparability is sometimes far from being objective.

At ITMA Asia the VDMA Textile Machinery Association will present the sustainability initiative Blue Competence for the first time in the Asian market. VDMA has developed the initiative for the whole range of its machinery industry. It explains and positions the machinery manufacturers as the technical problem-solvers regarding the requirements of the society of today and of the future in saving energy, material and resources.

In the framework of the Blue Competence initiative, the VDMA member-companies provide well-founded answers for instance to the topic energy efficiency. At ITMA Asia, the VDMA energy efficiency guide “Conserving resources – securing savings-potential” will be distributed in the Chinese language. In this guide the determining factors for a comparing assessment of energy efficiency of textile machinery have been worked out.

Some activities in the market in the last time regarding criteria and comparability were not very well founded, because they tried to measure complex textile machinery like consumer electronics or household appliances. The VDMA guide would help to put the discussion on energy efficiency on a solid basis again.

In the run-up and during the show the VDMA Textile Machinery Association will publish best practice examples from VDMA member-companies. The success stories themed “Sustainability meets profit” will include examples of sustainable machines and components as well as sustainable textile products that have been manufactured with the help of machines from VDMA members.

German exhibitor team

A total of 112 German companies have registered for ITMA Asia 2012. This is an increase of 9 per cent compared to the 2010 show. All renowned German manufacturers will be present at the leading trade fair for the Asian market. They will cover almost all different machinery chapters with a strong focus on spinning, finishing, knitting, nonwovens, weaving and winding technology.

For visitors it will be easy and convenient to find and visit German exhibitors as most of them will use “Made in Germany” and “German Technology” logos. Further, VDMA has initiated German sector groups in hall E2 (finishing), E5 (knitting & braiding) and W2 (spinning).

The first point of contact for trade professionals interested in German technology will be the VDMA information booth in the Association Village, booth E7/C10. At the booth the above-mentioned success stories themed “Sustainability meets profit” will be presented. Also, VDMA will provide useful information for visitors:

The VDMA ITMA Asia Guide, listing all exhibiting VDMA member-companies according to halls; the 2012 Chinese edition of the Buyers’ Guide “German Technology – The investment always pays off”, showing in a neat matrix the production program of all member-companies of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association; the VDMA energy efficiency guide “Conserving resources – securing savings-potential”; and the VDMA sampler “Sustainability meets profit”, including success stories about energy efficiency, material efficiency and others all along the textile chain.