At the forthcoming IGATEX textile machinery exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan, from April 24-26, Monforts will highlight the benefits of its latest Universal Energy Tower. This stand-alone air/air heat exchanger module enables recovery of the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal systems such as existing stenters and THERMEX dyeing ranges with infrared predriers, resulting in energy savings of up to 25%, depending on the exhaust air volume and operating temperature.
The Energy Tower has an integrated fresh air fan with speed control. It offers good access to the heat exchanger modules for easy cleaning as well as a large condensate collection tank with a lint filter. Visualisation of real-time temperature and maintenance intervals is also included.
The Universal Energy Tower is one of a series of modular upgrades the company has developed to be added to existing finishing lines already in production, with a significant impact on a manufacturer’s operational costs.
“Monforts machines are known for their robustness and long service life, but the retrofitting of specific modules with new control and drive technology – going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts – can have a significant impact on the performance of an existing line,” says Monforts Area Sales Manager Manfred Havenith. “This is especially the case in achieving further energy savings. At this year’s IGATEX, we are looking forward to discussing the possibilities with customers. Compared to a new machine, upgrades are low-cost investments that deliver clearly defined benefits.”
The Matex Eco Applicator is meanwhile an alternative to the conventional padding process for energy-conscious finishing and achieving considerable savings in the energy required for drying treated fabrics. The precise amount of finishing chemical can be applied to the fabric and with less residual moisture after application of only approximately 35%, so that less drying capacity is required in the stenter, which leads to huge energy savings.
Finishing chemicals can be evenly applied on either or both sides of the fabric, and two separate treatments can be applied to front and back. This makes the unit ideal for the production of, for example, double-performance hydrophobic/hydrophilic fabrics for professional clothing, as well as the over dyeing or finishing of denim fabrics.
Options
“Other general retrofitting options available in our modular upgrade programme include a clip opener for the MONTEX stenter, which is located at the chain deflection points and reduces wear on the clip table and the blades,” says Manfred Havenith. “At the same time, it ensures a quieter working atmosphere due to the smooth opening and closing of the clips.
“There are also considerable benefits to be gained from bringing a machine’s HMI up to date with our new 19-inch compact OS Windows PCs, as well as with a range of frequency converter options for bringing a machine completely up to date technically and reducing downtimes. With more than 140 years of experience, Monforts is the right partner to assist retrofits to help with sustainability and energy savings.”
Monforts continues to gain significant repeat orders for its equipment from Pakistan’s major vertically-integrated textile manufacturers as they seek to both expand and diversify into new markets. Customers in the regions around Pakistan’s three biggest cities of Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad include all of the main players in the fields of home textiles and denim production.
“These companies rely on our established technologies, including MONTEX stentering equipment, Monfortex sanforizing units and THERMEX dyeing ranges,” says Manfred Havenith. “As they look to new markets in today’s highly-competitive industry, we continue to assist them with trials and optimised processing parameters in developing advanced fabrics for a wide range of end-uses, both at their own plants and at our Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Germany.”
Monforts specialists can be consulted at the stand of partner Al-Ameen at IGATEX 2025, A13-A30 in Hall 5.
