Latest: The Rupp Report: Broad Success For Narrow Fabrics

Not each and every firm these times can say that it is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Switzerland-primarily based Jakob Müller AG can. Because 1887, the organization has produced chopping-edge
engineering for the ribbon, rope and narrow material industry as well as peripheral sectors. It is a
simple fact that the Swiss are the leaders in these sectors of the textile machinery market.

As a result, it was normal that the Rupp Report also visited the representatives of Jakob
Müller at ITMA 2011 in Barcelona — the firm’s CEO, Christian Kuoni, also is president of the
Swiss Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Industries’ (SWISSMEM’s) Textile Machinery Division,
and therefore an essential member of the CEMATEX committee.

Also several ITMAs
It was not effortless to get hold of Eduard “Edi” Strebel, head of marketing and advertising at Jakob Müller at the
hectic booth to get an job interview about the company’s experience at the ITMA. The very first question was
inescapable: Are there way too several ITMAs? “Yes,” explained Edi Strebel, “there are as well numerous. The finest way
would be to go back to every 4 many years an ITMA every in Asia and in Europe. So we would have yet again
the excellent rhythm of a single ITMA each and every two a long time.”

Like a lot of other businesses, the Swiss are convinced that this would be adequate. “There are so
many neighborhood events. We need to stability very properly at which reasonable we are going to show. The expenses for
exhibitions are soaring. And it’s not only the charges for the sq. meters as such, but also for
manpower, and many others.”

Nonetheless, the company was quite joyful with ITMA in Barcelona. Strebel regarded as the visitor’s
frequency as nicely as the top quality of the website visitors to be very good, and the company’s anticipations had been
fully fulfilled. “Main visitor nations around the world were India, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Turkey and Spain,
in this purchase,” Strebel added. As a supplier of a huge portfolio of machinery, Jakob Müller
considers the world to be a single massive market place, as they claim on their web site that “the sunlight never ever
sets on Jakob Müller AG” with a network covering sixty countries. “However,” Strebel stated, “in spite
of the significance of the European market with its increasing ratio of technical textiles, it is
evident that the Asian markets are turning into much more and a lot more critical for us.”

Outstanding Suggestions
“Of course, the real economical circumstance is distorting our organization,” Strebel
said. “As a Swiss business, with the Swiss franc, we are not in a favorable circumstance at the second.
All our competition are operating with the euro or are dependent in the Significantly East.” Even so, is there good
reports to report from ITMA? “Yes,” Strebel said. “Our exhibits enjoyed an superb opinions, generally
a few new merchandise, this kind of as the label weaving machine MÜGRIP®MBJ6. These devices are solely
developed and created for label weaving. The display is equipped with an more sixth
repeat, which will increase the device’s rated weaving width to 120 millimeters. Shedding takes location
by means of an SPE Jacquard machine with one,536 hooks, and the devices on display have 1,152 and 864
Jacquard features, respectively. The new device also employs an progressive, power-optimized
drive concept.”

Another profitable display was the narrow fabric loom NH2 53. This is an electronically
controlled loom for the weaving of elastic and nonelastic slim fabrics. Compared to standard
needle looms, the machine is fitted with substantially fewer mechanical components, which benefits in the two
a lot less put on and a cut in vitality intake, which is a maximum of 1 kilowatt.

And the 3rd machine in the middle of the customer’s consideration was the Inkjet immediate printing
technique — MDP2 E MÜPRINT2 E, a somewhat modified product for the printing of elastic and non-elastic
slim materials and belts. The device operates from roll to roll, from crate to crate and from roll
to crate and vice versa. The contactless approach permits the printing of comparatively weighty and thick
goods with coarse surface area constructions.

What are the factors for the good results of these exhibits? “We take into account ourselves to be the
market place leader in these sectors,” Strebel mentioned, “but initial of all, it is a quantum leap in
engineering, which led to this successful presentation at ITMA.”

The Search Into The Crystal Ball
For the long term, one particular is somewhat optimistic at Jakob Müller. Strebel stated: “Yes, we are
deliberately optimistic. Assume the not possible to attain the feasible. For the potential, we have to
perform challenging to get even far better final results in terms and conditions of much less power consumption and higher manufacturing
output. The entire world always requirements superior products, and this is our company. We ought to and will
stay in the gain zone, inclined to supply our clients the finest attainable item to stay
competitive. With this goal, we can stay aggressive too, and continue being the leader in narrow material
technologies.”