Germany's VDMA Textile Machinery Association says a hot topic at the forthcoming ITMA in Barcelona will be ‘efficient production', as growing energy and raw material prices lead textile manufacturers around the world to optimize their cost structures and processes.

"At ITMA, the German textile machinery manufacturers will present advanced technical solutions that offer excellent value for money by production increases and savings in energy and material", emphasises Fritz P. Mayer, Chairman of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association and CEO of Karl Mayer Group.

The association, which represents 120 companies in the textiles sector, says ecological design and energy efficiency are the subjects that the sector is being increasingly confronted with, both in terms of legislation and customer requirements. It also says that more than ever, ecological efficiency is being considered in the development of new technical solutions and that customers are looking for support in their decision making.

BLUecoMPETENCE

Against this backdrop, VDMA has developed the BLUecoMPETENCE initiative for the whole German machinery sector including textiles.

"BLUecoMPETENCE 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," says Thomas Waldmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association.

BLUecoMPETENCE will be presented at ITMA to provide clear direction for textile manufacturers on sustainability and energy efficient machinery and processes. The association will present the position paper ‘Energy efficient textile machinery,' on the determining factors for a comparative assessment of the energy efficiency of textile machinery.

The VDMA says the paper aims to make the discussion about efficiency criteria, ‘CO2 footprint' and comparability, which is held under the keyword sustainability more objective.

Stronger German textile machinery sector

The VDMA says the German textile machinery manufacturers will emerge strengthened at ITMA in Barcelona as 2010 brought economic recovery after two weak years. Orders increased by 140% in 2010 and the first half 2011 has seen a moderate increase of 10% compared with the respective period 2010. The VDMA says that due to the ongoing financial disruptions it is difficult to forecast how incoming orders will develop in the months ahead.

2011 export performance is said to have been very positive with January to June exports reaching a 1.6 billion Euros, an increase of 37% compared to 2010. For the individual sectors, the growth rate was: spinning machinery, 640 million Euros, up 61%; weaving machinery, 100 million Euros, UP 7.7%; knitting and hosiery machinery, 538 million Euro, up 38%; and washing, bleaching, dyeing and finishing machinery, 300 million Euros, up 10%.

The six most important export markets for German textile machinery manufacturers are China, India, Turkey, USA, Brazil and Italy. For the full year 2011, VDMA predicts a total sales increase of 30% for the sector.