Unveiling future innovations at ITMA
ITMA continues to be the launch pad of global technology for textile machinery and component manufacturers. With preparations in full swing, the excitement and expectations among the show participants are higher than ever before. We have been speaking to exhibitors on their preparations and importance of ITMA. Talk about knitting, and the first name that one can think of is Mayer & Cie. (MCT)
Mayer & Cie. is a leading international manufacturer of circular knitting machines. The company offers the entire range of machines required for making modern textiles. Fabrics for home textiles, sportswear, nightwear and swimwear, seat covers, etc., are made on MCT knitting machines. Furthermore, MCT regularly develops new approaches underlining its leadership in technology. Spinit systems is the latest example in this field. In 2019, Mayer & Cie. has augmented its portfolio by introducing braiding machines which produce sheathings for hydraulic tubes used in areas such as aviation and automotive, as well as other specific fields of application.
Founded in 1905, Mayer & Cie. generated sales of EUR 110 million in 2018 with about 500 employees worldwide. In addition to its headquarters in Albstadt, Germany, where around 370 people work, and subsidiaries in China and the Czech Republic, sales partners for circular knitting and braiding machines in around 80 countries represent the group.
MCT @ ITMA
Mr. Benjamin Mayer, Managing Director Mayer & Cie., said: “ITMA is the world’s most important technology and textile machinery trade fair. Visitors come from all over the world and bring with them the widest range of applications in order to discuss them quite openly. That is why this trade fair is the optimal platform on which to discuss with customers their expectations and wishes. And, of course, to recognize new trends in knitting. For us, ITMA is an absolute must! If you want to be a market and technology leader, you have to stand out and show really new developments at this trade fair”.
He added: “ITMA is the rendezvous for the entire industry. For us as exhibitors it provides an opportunity to present our latest and most important machines. At ITMA we can demonstrate our technological lead on the ‘living object’ with spinitsystems, for example. From the visitors, who themselves are often world leaders in their field, we receive valuable feedback that we can utilise for further developments. We also gain a comprehensive overview of our competitors’ developments and market activities. Last but not the least, the trade fair is a welcome occasion on which to cultivate and maintain personal contacts”.
With its slogan “Stay a winner. With Mayer & Cie.”, the focus of the company’s presentation will be on sport. Sportswear, active leisurewear and sports shoes are increasingly made of circular knitted fabrics and the long-established German firm has the right machines to cater for this trend. It is also going for the improved customer experiences that consistent digitization makes possible.
“Circular knitting is one of the most efficient ways to manufacture textile surfaces,” says Managing Partner Marcus Mayer, in charge of technical development at the company. “A Mayer machine manufactures up to 40 kg of fabric per hour, enough for around 380 t-shirts. Jersey fabric is elastic too, which is good for wearing comfort, especially in the sport and leisure sectors.”
For years global demand for circular knitted products has increased enormously. An important growth driver is the sportswear and sports fashion sector, including sports shoes. According to Euromonitor the market segment grew by about seven per cent per year between 2013 and 2017. By 2017 Euromonitor estimated its total market value to be around $78 billion. Lightweight synthetic fibres, new patterns and attractive functionalities are the key requirements in this area.
Focus at ITMA
Mr. Benjamin Mayer observed: “Our focus at this year’s ITMA is on sports, regeneration and new customer experience. Three of the five machines on show at our stand, C 204 in Hall 8.0, will have a clear sports orientation – the MJ 3.2 E, a single jersey machine for bodymapping, the OVJA 1.1 EETT, the specialist in knitted sports and leisure footwear, and the Spinit 3.0 E, which comes with new functions and can now process polyester. The new OVJA 2.4 EM mattress machine consistently fits into this environment, in that peak physical performance demonstrably requires optimal regeneration.
MCT will showcase another machine which will be in line with its innovative tradition. The machine study on show puts a tried and trusted process to a very modern use, with attractive benefits for customers. Besides, customers will be able to see and test the initial results of our measures of digitization at ITMA. Available for testing will be the new Web shop, linked with an analogue model of the high-bay warehouse in Albstadt-Tailfingen, and machine maintenance by means of HoloLens”.
“Since we are presenting at this year’s ITMA a machine study of a well-known process that we have renewed and refreshed, we look forward with keen interest to the feedback from trade visitors. With our process we are cutting the cost of consumables while offering a characteristic kind of material, the uses of which we want to discuss in Barcelona”, said Mr. Benjamin Mayer, building the excitement.
Business performance
The market for textile machinery has cooled off since 2018. ITMA is expected to usher in a market recovery. Even though 2018 was an extremely challenging year for the entire textile industry, MCT was able to end the year with a positive balance sheet while reaching further milestones. The company was awarded for its spinning and knitting technology, the Innovation Prize for the Climate and the Environment of the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUB) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Combining spinning and knitting in one machine saves a great deal of space, time, energy and resources. At the end of 2018 the machine went into series production, which is another milestone.
MCT received another accolade in June 2018 when it was named one of the Top 100 most innovative small and midrange German businesses for the second time. The assembly of the 1,000th machine at its factory in Shanghai, which assembles machines specially designed for the local market, was another highlight of this year.
Since the beginning of 2019, MCT has started production of braiding machines at its head office location in Albstadt-Tailfingen. These machines produce sheathing for hydraulic hoses. “Our braiding machine production in Albstadt is operating successfully. We are proud to have set up an entirely new line of business and got it up and running so swiftly and so well. We began with a full order book and have booked further orders since the beginning of the year. In the circular knitting machine sector, after a very quiet start to the year we are now booking a growing number of orders, especially from India and Turkey. The Relanit 3.2 HS continues to be a particularly popular model. Other top sellers are the S4-3.2 and the D4-3.2 as well as the Inovit 4-2.0”, Mr. Mayer added.
MCT’s most important export markets include Turkey, China and India. Another market that has grown for years and is among the top five is Bangladesh whose circular knitting machine market is one of the most stable in the world. Two-thirds of this demand is for single jersey and one third for double jersey machines. Earlier this year, MCT received an order for a substantial number of Relanit 3.2 HS machines, for test purposes and the company is hopeful of follow-up orders.
Another emerging market in recent times for textile manufacturing is Uzbekistan, a cotton producer, a real newcomer. It is also an increasingly interesting market for circular knitting machines, thanks to the intensive government promotion of domestic textile production. “We shipped dozens of machines there last year and have already received orders for this year too, Mr. Mayer disclosed.
The MCT Advantage
As an acknowledged technology leader MCT offers its customers state-of-the-art technology. To ensure that this continues to be the case the company invests significant percentage of its sales revenue in research and development. Spinitsystems is a result of this resolve, as is the new process which will be exhibited at ITMA this year. MCT’s machine portfolio is known to be one of the most comprehensive in the market. There is a machine for almost any application.
For decades, Mayer & Cie. machines are known for their quality, reliability and durability. Speaking of durability, the company maintains spareparts even for older machines. It maintains a worldwide network of highly qualified representations for sales and services. With many of these companies, the relationship has been for decades, if not generations.
Furthermore, MCT is working on state-of-the-art digital solutions. Currently, the company focuses on collecting data from machines, enabling it to identify issues in fabric production – and, of course, improve the machines‘ overall efficiency. There is MDS1, a design software. It helps the customer in designing sophisticated jacquard patterns and maintains a remote connection among machines via a web browser.
Mr. Mayer further said: “We mainly see in digitisation the potential to continue to set ourselves apart from the competition. As a first step we have identified approaches that are meaningful and relevant for our firm. They are, first and foremost, ensuring data quality and continuity on the basis of forward-looking technologies. Specifically that means systematically collecting circular knitting machine data, for example, and data continuity and maintaining an uninterrupted, automated flow of collected data to its destination play a most important role”.
Aftersale service and spares
He concluded with the exhaustive statement: “By introducing a new ERP system MCT has laid the technical foundation for all the other services it would like to offer – the hub for all data and information flows, as it were. MCT’s focus is now on specific measures to improve customer satisfaction, such as creating opportunities for remote technical support, better known as Remote Services. We are working inter alia on solutions that involve Mixed Reality glasses. Using these glasses, we can show our customers remotely how to carry out regular maintenance work and even simple repairs. A Web shop from which customers can order consumables and spare parts irrespective of opening hours or language barriers is also about to be launched. In the future, all these measures will lead to a comprehensive customer portal where customers can access centrally anything they need to know about their machines and communicate with Mayer & Cie. or its representatives. Maintenance might also be managed via this portal, with predictive maintenance as the keyword.”
Mayer and Cie. is one of those rare companies that have been around for more than 100 years and continues to be the global leader. Thanks to its thirst for innovation, the company is opening up new opportunities in the world of knitting. It will keep the excitement and attention of its customers alive at ITMA and in the years to come.
For details, visit the company stall at ITMA 2019 – Hall H 8.0, Booth C 204.