A world premiere: the new rapier GTMax-i 3.0 Picanol’s newest rapier, the GTMax-i 3.0, is shown for the first time to the textile world. The GTMax-i 3.0 is building further on the success of GT-Max and GTMax-i. The combination of a redesigned gripper drive and extra reinforced sley drive as well as the integration of the future oriented BlueBox electronic platform allow for even higher production speeds. Moreover, the look of the machine has been reworked completely, with a special focus on ergonomy and user friendliness.
In total 4 machines of this type will be on display at the show. On the Picanol booth, a GTMax-i 3.0 will be weaving a denim fabric, another one will be weaving a zebra style curtain fabric. On the Bonas booth a decoration fabric is running on a GTMax-i 3.0 with jacquard, whereas on the Tongxiang booth a GTMax-i 3.0 will be weaving label.
Product portfolio at ITMA-CITME
Next to the all-new GTMax-i 3.0, four more machines are present, completing the Picanol weaving machine range on display.
On the Picanol booth two OptiMax-i 190 cm weaving para-aramide and shirting are being presented. As for the airjet machines, two OMNIplus Summum are shown, one weaving a bottom weight fabric and the other weaving sheeting. On the Stäubli booth a TERRYplus Summum with jacquard is weaving a high quality terry fabric. So in total 9 Picanol machines are on display, of which six on its own booth (Hall H3, booth F01). One Picanol TERRYplus Summum with jacquard is on display at the Stäubli booth and one GTMax-i 3.0 on the Bonas booth. On the booth of Tongxiang a GTMax-i 3.0 is weaving label.
Picanol in China
As one of the world’s leading weaving machine manufacturers, Picanol has always had a very close relationship with the Chinese textile industry. Picanol sent its first pioneers to explore the possibilities in the Far East, already in the early 1950s. Picanol took part in one of the first international exhibitions held in Beijing.
The growing installed base of Picanol machines in China, as well as the increasing demand for a higher level of service and support resulted in the establishment of the Picanol Service Centre, which was set up in Shanghai in 1987.
The next step, in 1994, was the start of PST, Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works, being Picanol’s first production line outside Belgium. The technology and organisation were based entirely on the assembly concept and quality standards applied at the company’s headquarters in Ieper.
Today PST houses a complete production unit with assembly lines, a mechatronics division, and a sales, service and spare parts organization. The Chinese management, engineers and technicians have been trained in Belgium.
Headquarters in Belgium
One of the big assets of this cross border entrepreneurship is the mixture of drawing upon the know-how and quality standards from the Picanol Group, combined with good understanding of its local customers’ needs.
With more than 100 engineers headquartered in Belgium, Picanol invests heavily in R&D activities every year, resulting in the most advanced and performing weaving machines program available in the market. Picanol’s airjet and rapier technology covers the full spectrum of textiles including apparel, household and technical fabrics. The high degree of digitization of all these machines, together with its Sumo main drive, ensures a lower weaving cost, higher quality of the fabrics produced, greater flexibility and exceptional ease of operation in comparison with other weaving machines.
The Picanol Service Team is offering on-site technical support in every corner of the world. Its local service teams are being trained on a permanent basis in the training centers in Ieper (Belgium) and Suzhou (China). Original Picanol Parts to ensure a high performance throughout the whole lifetime of the machines. The Picanol Aftermarket Sales Team is ready to advise you on how to optimize the preventive maintenance of your machines, proposing spare parts packages tailored to your specific needs.
Flexibility is more than a buzz word at Picanol: more than ever, we realize that it is a bare necessity to adjust to the changing market needs at any moment and to be ever more successful. So Picanol also offers “Weave Up” upgrade kits, maximizing the performance and widening the weaving range of your Picanol machines during its entire lifetime.