(Image courtesy of Messe Frankfurt/Thomas Fedra)
The recent Techtextil and Texprocess shows in Frankfurt, Germany, showcased the best of the industry in a one-stop-shop environment.
By Jim Kaufmann, Technical Editor
Techtextil, the biennial trade fair organized by Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany, is considered to be the granddaddy of global trade events focused on the technical textiles industry. Collocated with Texprocess — a sister show focused on processing textiles and flexible materials — it is considered a significant and important industry event for the global exhibitors and visitors who participate. For readers who haven’t been, this big brother to Techtextil North America, also organized by Messe Frankfurt, is akin to one spending a couple of days at the largest shopping mall in North America, the Mall of America. There, one can find a store and shop for pretty much any consumer good imaginable. In a similar fashion, between Techtextil and Texprocess, virtually every aspect of the technical, industrial and performance textiles marketplace and supply chain is to be found in Frankfurt.
This year’s combined Techtextil and Texprocess hosted more than 1,700 exhibitors from 53 different countries. During the four-day event these exhibitors greeted more than 38,000 visitors from 102 different countries. “I felt it was very well attended and the quality of visitors was exceptional,” offered Torry Losch, chief commercial officer, Hailide America Inc., a polyester and tire cord manufacturer based in Alpharetta, Ga. “All visitors to our booth were high-quality customers, or potential customers, who fit well within our target markets. Well worth the trip, and I look forward to the next one in two years!”
“For us Techtextil was very good,” added Will Motchar, president and CEO of Navis TubeTex, a finishing machinery manufacturer based in Lexington, N.C. “A lot of potential projects were discussed with current and new customers around our finishing technologies that offer significant energy, water, and chemical savings.”
In general terms, Techtextil encompasses all aspects involved in developing, producing and/or enhancing an input material or textile, while Texprocess focuses on taking that input textile or material and assembling it into a product. Having Techtextil and Texprocess under one umbrella event allows visitors in many cases the opportunity to seek out every aspect of the industry’s supply chain from raw material development and manufacturing to that raw material evolving into a textile, potentially adding a performance enhancement of some sort, and then exploring the technologies necessary to assemble that textile into an end product like a piece of clothing, running shoe, automotive airbag, personal protective equipment, composite structure or any of thousands of other products.
Having Techtextil and Texprocess together in one space also allows for unique synergies via the intermingling of technologies and varied mindsets throughout the different segments in the exhibit halls. For example, a fashion designer can interact with all components of their existing supply chain, and also venture into other segments of either the textile or processing sides to gain inspiration from a completely different sector that they may not interact with during their usual daily tasks. It really can’t be stressed enough how important these unexpected synergies continue to lead to innovations throughout all aspects of the industry.
As with most recent trade fairs, two primary overriding themes were prevalent throughout both Techtextil and Texprocess exhibitors; the continuous incremental and occasionally step-change improvements being made throughout all aspects of product functionality and the continued global importance and commitment to product and corporate sustainability, recycling and circularity.
20 Years Of Techtextil
This year’s Techtextil marked an anniversary as it was the 20th edition of the show. The first event, held in 1986, was a much smaller affair than today’s large-scale extravaganza, but some of the exhibitors who were at that first fair still participate in Techtextil almost 40 years later. Organizers honored those founding companies with a plaque and bottle of champagne as a thank you during a special ceremony on the second day of the fair. According to Messe Frankfurt: “Their commitment and passion have made Techtextil what it is today: a beacon of innovation and a meeting place for industry experts.”
With the industry’s overall focus on sustainability, there was a notable increase in the number of exhibitors showing performance materials incorporating natural fibers at Techtextil. President Clare King and Product Design and Development Lead Birgit Leitner with Propel LLC, a product innovation company based in Providence, R.I., spoke about the changing times and also found inspiration during Techtextil. “We were last at Techtextil in 2019, prior to COVID and there found a high level of focus around e-textiles which were highly represented back then,” Leitner said. “What stood out to us this year, was the shift from e-textiles to a very strong focus on sustainability. Both large and small companies have embraced this trend, showcasing innovations in sustainable materials, eco-friendly production processes and circular economy solutions.” The women noted that the “Sustainability@Techtextil” label allowed visitors to easily identify these companies. They also found the curated section titled “Regenerative? Moving Beyond Sustainability” incorporating key-words such as “Cultivating Localism,” “Enriching Communities,” “Replenishing the Land,” “Radical Transparency,” “Naturally Abundant,” “Biological Fabrication,” “Preserving Heritage,” and “Restoring Biodiversity” interesting and rather inspiring.
A few companies focused on natural products that Leitner and King mentioned were:
- Kombinat Konopny, a Poland-based vertically integrated hemp company;
- Lavalan®/Baur Vliesstoffe GmbH, a Germany-based company focused on increasing awareness of homegrown wool and it’s many performance-based uses;
- Studio Sarmite, a research and design studio in Frankfurt focused on creating closed-loop concepts through transforming industry waste and its byproducts; and
- Malai Eco, an India and Slovakia-based company that is developing flexible, biocomposite materials made from organic bacterial cellulose grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India, which have a feel comparable to leather and paper.
In addition, one couldn’t help but notice the growing focus on “better living through chemistry.” New technologies observed centered around chemistries that can turn polymers into biodegradable forms, generate natural fibers, enhance processing and processability of combined materials, improve colors and color fastness, impart specific performance characteristics, among other attributes.
Texprocess
Not to be outdone, Texprocess showcased innovative processing technologies targeting the cut, sew and converting industries. Artificial intelligence (AI) was featured prominently in a number of areas. AI is now being employed in a number of ways to improve cutting room layouts and nesting efficiencies, aid in the use of raw materials and energy consumption, catalogue assorted samples and physical parameters that can then be used for quality refinements, just to name a few applications. Innovative machine designs, enhancements, tooling and technologies including robotics are being employed in order to improve efficiencies as well as allowing these facilities to be able to do more with less numbers of human labor requirements. This is not necessarily to reduce headcounts as some may fear, but more an answer to the lack of qualified and skilled workers in many of these areas.
Frank Henderson, president and CEO of Henderson Sewing Machine Co., a sewing industry equipment supplier based in Andalusia, Ala., felt that: “Texprocess was a good setting that provided industry leaders highlights into the state-of-the-art design, cutting, sewing and manufacturing possibilities in this vital, global textile supply chain. Techtextil once again demonstrated the technical textile industry’s innovations and advances in automation, digitization and creativity while once again illustrating its continuing importance to the global economy!”
Techtextil North America will also take place this year, in Raleigh, N.C. (See “Raleigh Homecoming,” TW, this issue). The next Techtextil/Texprocess trade fair will be held April 21-24, 2026, in Frankfurt. A trade fair well worth the effort to attend!
2024 Quarterly Volume III
