Bruckner is a well-known name in the production of textile machinery and specialized finishing and coating machinery. This company is one of the leaders in the production of innovative and low-energy consumption machines. Bruckner is a value-oriented family company and it looks back to a long tradition that has shaped and inspired again and again over the years. The company offers finishing lines for woven and knitted fabric, including drying, heat-setting, curing, continuous dyeing, sanforizing, and compacting; and drying, coating, and finishing lines for technical textiles like glass fiber fabric, glass mesh fabric, coated materials, tarpaulin cloth and billboards, artificial leather, floor coverings, artificial grass carpet, and foil or non-woven.
Photo- Verena Ruckh Head of Marketing, Brückner Textile TechnologiesMrs. Verena Ruckh, Head of Marketing, Brückner Textile Technologies, evaluated the Itma 2023 Milan as very impressive and beyond expectations. Team Denim Focus had a conversation with her and key discussion points are mentioned below for our readers-
Denim Focus: What is the response of ITMA 2023
Verena Ruckh: Contrary to all expectations, ITMA 2023 in Milan was a very successful trade show for us. The number of visitors was very pleasing, and we were busy from the very first day. Even on the last day of the exhibition, there was still an astonishingly large number of visitors, something we haven’t seen in recent ITMA’s. Visitors came from all over the world, which was not necessarily to be expected. Of course, there were many Europeans, but also customers from South America, India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. The discussions we had were also mostly very good, concrete projects were discussed and individual machine configurations have been developed. Of course, this must still be evaluated after the trade show and the corresponding offers must be finalized. But we have already received a few orders. So, we can look back on a very successful exhibition in Italy.
Denim Focus: What are the latest technologies introduced at ITMA 2023
Verena Ruckh: Well, ITMA was all about sustainability. We therefore focused on the presentation of sustainable solutions for the textile industry. The focus was on our new POWER-FRAME SFP-4 stenter generation with several new features, such as new electrical or hydrogen-powered heating systems, which will enable customers to operate even more flexibly in the future. And – looking to the future – we are thus offering our customers decisive advantages. They can reduce their dependence on fossil raw materials and minimize their carbon footprint. We have also optimized the lint screens, improved the insulation, adapted some features in the stenter outlet, and offered intelligent software solutions for optimizing recipes, systems for heat recovery and exhaust air purification, and innovative minimum application systems for functionalizing woven and knitted fabrics.
Another highlight at the fair was, of course, our digital products and services. Our intelligent assistance systems help machine operators to find the optimum machine setting for each process. With the help of artificial intelligence, production processes can be simulated on the computer, and costs, energy consumption, and carbon footprint can be calculated in advance. Other assistants warn in good times when worn parts need to be replaced or which parameters should be adjusted to make the process even more energy efficient.
Of course, there are also many other areas that we have presented at ITMA. For example, we have developed a completely new POWER-DRY relaxation dryer for finishing knitted fabrics. The unit is designed for both open and tubular fabrics and can be switched over at the push of a button. The dryer can be easily integrated into existing line concepts and offers the highest evaporation performance at the smallest overall length. With its space-saving sliding doors, it offers optimum accessibility and fits even into narrow production halls. Maximum air speed via special nozzles ensures optimum shrinkage, maximum tumble effect, and voluminous fabric hand.
Denim Focus: How do you see the Bangladesh textile / Denim market for your company?
Verena Ruckh: Although Bangladesh is a small country, there is a lot of textile industry there. For us, Bangladesh has always been an important market, and this will not change in the future. Our customers are mainly in the classic apparel market. Some are also active in denim, and we have the feeling that this market will slowly grow. At the same time, however, the classic textile sector is also growing, and we deliver a lot of equipment for finishing woven and knitted fabrics to Bangladesh. The tense economic situation has calmed down somewhat in the last few months and our customers are again working to a higher capacity. We are optimistic that after the next elections in January 2024, the situation will be back to normal soon.
Denim Focus: How Brückner is providing services worldwide, especially technical services?
Verena Ruckh: We invest a lot in our after-sales business, which of course also includes service. We are very well networked worldwide with around 90 sales agencies. In many countries, we have our own service stations with spare parts warehouses and trained technicians, for example in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This enables us to react quickly and ensures parts availability for our customers. Our experienced local technicians support the commissioning of our machines, supervise, and train the operating personnel, and help with cleaning and maintenance of the equipment. With a view to sustainability and saving resources, we also offer numerous options for modernization and technological advice. It is not always necessary to invest in a new machine, often the potential of older machines can be exploited quickly and efficiently through modernization and technological advice. Noticeable improvements in productivity and energy efficiency can be achieved without longer downtimes.
Denim Focus: How do you see the business in this economic situation?
Verena Ruckh: The economic situation worldwide is still not easy. Now that the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic have receded somewhat into the background, we are currently preoccupied with the war in Ukraine as well as inflation and the extreme rise in energy prices. In addition, many countries are experiencing financial difficulties, which in turn has an impact on the financing of our machines. Many projects are highly contested, and competition has increased. Nevertheless, we are optimistic. The good mood at ITMA in Milan is still holding somewhat, and the supply bottleneck situation has also calmed down. We are used to economic fluctuations in the textile industry and have already experienced many ups and downs. There are always new opportunities that you just must take advantage of.
Denim Focus: Your message for the Bangladesh Denim industry & our readers
Verena Ruckh: We are happy and proud that we have so many customers in Bangladesh with whom we have a good relationship. We owe this above all to the good work of our local representative Pacific Associates Ltd., who is constantly on site with its service technicians and fitters and supports our customers in the best possible way. We can only encourage customers in Bangladesh to invest in a Brückner machine, even if it means a big investment at the beginning. Looking into the future, you can only win with it, save energy and resources in the long run, and remain competitive. With our local Agency Pacific, you always have a reliable partner and fast service on-site.
