Driving Innovation in Sustainable Textile Finishing and Beyond

Ahead of this year’s ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition in Singapore from October 28-31, industry leading companies Archroma, BW Converting and Monforts will take part in a webtalk with German association VDMA on September 18th.

The three companies will share insights from recent trials conducted at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Germany, where a Baldwin TexCoat™ G4 spray unit has been integrated into a Montex stenter to apply Archroma’s latest waterborne chemicals. The collaborative effort aims to maximise resource efficiency and throughput in textile finishing. In addition, the partners will unveil details of a new, cutting-edge line concept set to debut at ITMA Asia in Singapore.

Installed in 2024 at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center in Mönchengladbach, the full-width Baldwin TexCoat G4 unit has enabled extensive real-world testing of advanced finishing formulations. The system’s integration into the Montex stenter has provided a valuable platform for evaluating performance, precision, and sustainability across a wide range of application scenarios.

“This work now enables us to guide manufacturers through the transition from standard impregnation processes to spray application systems, which have the potential to reduce water and energy consumption as less water is needed to transport the chemicals to the textile surface,” explains Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Segment Manager for Technical Textiles at Archroma Textile Effects. “Our latest addition to this range of options is a patent-pending, highly wash durable hydrophilic softener which enhances the longevity of the treated fabrics and will be commercially available soon.”

BW Converting is already seeing commercial success with the Baldwin TexCoat G4 system in the field. In Pakistan, for example, its integration into Montex stenters using Archroma chemistry has proven to be a highly effective line concept for bed sheet production.

“We have helped our customers double their stenter output, while also significantly enhancing the hand feel of the finished fabrics,” says Rick Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for Textiles at BW Converting.

Independent testing by Fashion for Good, a global platform for sustainable textile innovation, compared TexCoat G4 spray application with traditional pad-based finishing, using a Monforts stenter and Archroma formulations. The results confirmed that combining advanced equipment design, process expertise, and tailored chemistry can significantly reduce energy and water consumption while improving capacity utilisation for textile mills.

Monforts has long focused on developing optimised processes paired with energy-efficient machine layouts. Building on the success of their recent collaboration, the three partners are now working on a similar resource-saving concept, combining Monforts’ Thermex continuous dyeing range with the new Baldwin TexChroma spray dyeing system and Archroma dyestuffs.

“We are committed to continuing to work together with a focus on bringing transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space,” says Monforts Technologist Saskia Kuhlen.

The VDMA webtalk, Driving Innovation in Sustainable Textile Finishing and Beyond, will take place from 14.00 – 15.30 CET on September 18th and invitations will be published a week in advance via the VDMA LinkedIn channel.

A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1884 and today celebrating its 140th anniversary is a leading supplier of textile dyeing and finishing machines as well as coating devices. The company is a market leader for stenters, continuous dyeing ranges, sanforising ranges and special executions for denim and for the coating of technical textiles and other special applications. The company`s headquarter is located in Mönchengladbach, Germany. At its Advanced Technology Center (ATC) customers can undertake fabric trials on the latest Monforts equipment under real production conditions. For over 40 years, the company`s production site has been in St. Stefan, Austria. Monforts is a member of CHTC Fong’s Group. Visit monforts.com to learn more.

Archroma is a global, diversified provider of specialty chemicals serving the branded and performance textiles, packaging and paper, and construction markets. Headquartered in Pratteln, Switzerland, Archroma operates with over 4,000 employees located in 42 countries and with over 30 production sites. Archroma is passionate about delivering leading and innovative solutions, enhancing people’s lives and respecting the planet. The company is committed to the principles of "The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World"; an approach reflected in its innovations, world-class quality standards, high service levels and cost-efficiency. 

From paper to plastic, ink to textile, products to packaging, BW Converting changes things for the better. We innovate, design, manufacture and service precision machinery that unlocks manufacturing opportunities in Tissue, Hygiene, Print, Packaging, Mailing, Textiles and other high-performance Industrial applications. Unifying our product brands Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), Winkler+Dünnebier (W+D), Baldwin Technology Co., Hudson-Sharp, STAX Technologies and Northern Engraving and Machine under one global organization as part of the $3.6 billion Barry-Wehmiller Corporation, we help maximize global industry potential today and tomorrow. Visit bwconverting.com to learn more.