Picanol launches its newly designed OptiMax i rapier and a new terry rapier format
At the occasion of an Open House (September 8 – 11, 2015) launch – in presence of customers and trade journalists – Belgian Picanol presented its newly designed Optimax i rapier weaving machine, and introduced also its first new rapier format for Terry Cloth
The Picanol team gave a live demonstration of the OptiMax-i, its brand new rapier machine. In the focus was also a sneak preview of its new TerryMax-i rapier weaving machine for terry cloth. Almost 300 visitors from more than 25 different countries attended the Open House in Ieper, Belgium. The new rapier machines will be making their official international debuts at the ITMA Milan2015 fair in November, where Picanol will be presenting its new technologies in Hall 1, Booth D 101.
“It has been a pleasure to be able to demonstrate over the past few days Picanol’s new rapier technologies to our many European customers. Following the strong interest of our customers in our new rapier offerings, we decided to organize a pre-launch event in anticipation of ITMA Milano. With the new OptiMax-i we have set a new benchmark in the rapier industry because this is the fastest industrial rapier weaving machine in the world. Thanks to its innovative design, the OptiMax-i is also the most versatile and user-friendly rapier machine with the lowest energy consumption on the market! It can be adapted to a wide range of fabrics, which means that it provides weavers with a great deal of flexibility in reacting to changes in market requirements, explained Johan Verstraete, VP Sales, Marketing & Services at Picanol. Another highlight of the Open House at Picanol was the sneak preview of the TerryMax-i, a new machine for weaving terry fabrics that is for the first time available in a rapier format.
In line with its new marketing campaign ‘Let’s grow together’, in which Picanol uses visuals of children during their different stages of growing up in life, a group of children of some of the Picanol employees had the honor of collectively unveiling the new OptiMax-i rapier machine. “At Picanol, we live up to the slogan ‘Let’s grow together’ as we are convinced that we can help our customers to grow. We’ve done it in the past and we are very determined to continue to do so in the future. We offer a wide variety of machines and services that enable weavers to create every type of fabric imaginable. As growing is the essence of doing business, this is why we endeavor to make our machines more energy-efficient, more versatile, user-friendly and easy to set” explains Verstraete.
The new types of Picanol rapier weaving machines were developed upon the requirement of leading customers and with their close cooperation. The machines are very user friendly and their concepts offer great versatility to serve particular customer demand and quick style changes. It was possible to again reduce energy cost thanks to the customer orientation of Picanol’s R&D team.
The TerryMax-i is the first time available in a rapier format and is feeding the particular needs of different terry production. It is available in different working width and with various options and devices to make the life of weavers easier, and at the same providing top quality terry products. Both new types of rapier looms are geared to best results, high efficiency and best ergonomics. Both new rapier formats have been tested under industrial conditions. OptiMax-i for three years and TerryMax-i for over one year and at the top brand customers. The new terry weaving machine has enthused these customers and the first order for 30 machines are already on the log of Picanol.
Picanol weaving machines are a synthesis of technological know-how and experience that has been built up over almost 80 years. This has resulted in more than 350,000 machines being produced. Picanol is proud to confirm that it currently has more than 175,000 weaving machines running in some 2,600 weaving mills worldwide.
As ITMA Milano draws closer, Picanol will be revealing even more of its technological breakthroughs, to read these, please turn to the first link below.