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Dal 22 al 24 settembre abbiamo partecipato alla prima edizione di Nextech by Colombiatex, presso Plaza Mayor, a Medellín. Si tratta della prima fiera dell’America Latina specializzata in macchinari e tecnologia per la filiera tessile e dell’abbigliamento. Secondo Inexmoda, nel 2025 la Colombia ha rappresentato il 6,8% del mercato latinoamericano della moda, pari a circa 8.494 milioni di dollari, e il settore si sta chiedendo come produrre meglio, non solo di più.

Presso il nostro stand erano in funzione telai circolari, intrecciatrici e macchine rettilinee SINOTEX. Abbiamo ricevuto visite da diverse città della Colombia, ma anche dall’Ecuador, dal Perù, dall’Argentina e dall’Europa, e gran parte dei visitatori proveniva da aziende con cui non collaboravamo ancora. Quasi tutte le conversazioni hanno ruotato attorno a quattro temi.

Segnale 1: il tessuto circolare rimane la base, ma crescere non significa sempre acquistare un’altra macchina

È stata la domanda più frequente. Prima di aggiungere una macchina, verifica se puoi diversificare con quella che già possiedi:

• Cambia i componenti, non la macchina. Nei telai circolari a maglia singola, sostituendo i componenti del nucleo, la stessa macchina può passare a tessere tessuto a ricciolo o polo.

• Cambia la calibrazione con un nuovo cilindro. Ottieni un tipo di tessuto diverso con la stessa attrezzatura e un investimento molto inferiore rispetto a quello di una macchina completa.

• Scegli con attenzione tra tubolare e a banda aperta. Se lavori tessuti con lycra o colori chiari e la piega del tubo lascia segni, la banda aperta avvolge il tessuto disteso, evita quelle pieghe e mantiene una densità di punto uniforme. Se produci capi senza cuciture laterali, il tubolare rimane l’opzione più efficiente.

Segnale 2: su colli e polsini, la differenza sta nel design

Ogni tecnica che padroneggi è un prodotto in più che puoi offrire: mini jacquard, pieghe in rilievo, intarsio, trasferimento o colli sagomati. Se stai valutando una macchina rettilinea, presta attenzione a questo:

• Rulli di salita e discesa: il tessuto esce dritto senza doverlo appendere a mano.

• Aghi a tallone alto: le camme si usurano meno.

• Motore con servocomando: secondo il produttore, aumenta la produzione del 15%.

• Quattro barre lanciatrici e otto alimentatori: più colori nello stesso disegno.

Segnale 3: nell’intreccio, la continuità si decide nei dettagli

L’intreccio si trova nei lacci per calzature, nelle corde sportive e di sicurezza, nei fili da pesca, nei cavi per auricolari o nei cordoncini per jacquard, in poliestere, nylon, PP o dyneema. Se stai pensando di acquistare una macchina intrecciatrice:

• Parte del prodotto finale. Il numero di fusi e di teste di lavorazione definisce cosa puoi produrre e a quale ritmo.

• Cerca un sistema di arresto automatico in caso di rottura del filo per evitare di accumulare metri difettosi. Secondo il produttore, alcuni modelli per corde producono da 4 a 5 volte di più rispetto a una macchina intrecciatrice tradizionale.

• Tieni a portata di mano i materiali di consumo. Con bobine, supporti, molle e perni di arresto a portata di mano, un fermo dura ore e non settimane.

• Pensa alla finitura. Se produci cordoncini, una puntatrice automatica da 4.000 a 6.000 punti all’ora completa il processo senza dipendere dal lavoro manuale.

Segnale 4: il reparto taglio è entrato in scena con forza

Le macchine per la stesura e il taglio automatico del tessuto, una linea che abbiamo recentemente introdotto con YINENG TECH, sono state tra le più richieste. Il tessuto rappresenta solitamente tra il 60% e il 70% del costo di un capo, e Lectra stima che lo spreco nei reparti di taglio vada dal 10% al 20%. È uno dei maggiori centri di costo di un’azienda di abbigliamento e quasi sempre il meno monitorato.

Prima di consultare qualsiasi scheda tecnica, misura questi quattro aspetti durante un mese tipo: la tua efficienza di tracciatura per tipo di capo, i tuoi scarti e le rilavorazioni in base alla causa, le ore effettive di utilizzo del tuo tavolo da taglio e il tuo vero limite (coerenza, tempo di cambio riferimento o volume). Inoltre, valuta insieme la stesura e il taglio. Una taglierina automatica taglia solo il tessuto che le viene consegnato. Se il tessuto continua a essere steso a mano, hai automatizzato la fase precisa e lasciato quella imprecisa com’era.

Prima di decidere

Chi torna da una fiera si ritrova con diverse opzioni sul tavolo. Queste quattro domande aiutano a metterle in ordine:

• Cosa intendi produrre e per quale mercato?

• Qual è la produttività effettiva con il tuo filato e i tuoi turni di lavoro?

• Ci sono pezzi di ricambio disponibili nelle vicinanze?

• Cosa comprende l’assistenza per l’installazione, la messa in funzione e la formazione?

La maggior parte delle decisioni di investimento in macchinari viene presa mesi dopo una fiera, quando c’è tempo per confrontare con calma le diverse opzioni. Lo abbiamo constatato in altre divisioni del gruppo, ed è per questo che non consideriamo conclusa nessuna conversazione. Se ci hai lasciato una richiesta, il nostro team commerciale ti contatterà per darvi seguito. E se non sei riuscito a venirci a trovare o desideri approfondire uno di questi argomenti per il tuo stabilimento, scrivici.

Grazie a tutti coloro che sono venuti a trovarci durante Nextech.

📩 co.comercial@group-itg.com

Every shedding cycle puts the warp yarn through the same point of contact: the heald eyelet. As the warp yarn bends at the eyelet during shedding, elongation occurs proportional to the square of the shed height — and because the front and back of the shed are asymmetrical in length, the yarn slips inside the eyelet, generating friction. When upper and lower yarns rise and fall alternately, severe friction occurs between them. During beating-up, the back-and-forth motion further increases friction between the warp yarn and the heddle eyelet.

This isn't an occasional event. It happens on every pick, on every heald, for the entire production run.

The cumulative cost of friction

The damage adds up in ways that show up directly on the production floor. Studies have found warp yarns lose up to 12% of their breaking tenacity due to abrasion and friction against fiber-to-fiber contact and all loom components — with peak friction occurring during weft insertion.

Lint is generated specifically at the points where warp yarns pass through drop wire eyes, heddle eyes, and between reed blades. This lint collects on the weaving machine surfaces and is often incorporated into the fabric when it falls into the shed or becomes entwined with warp or weft yarns, resulting in defective fabric. Thick lint buildup can also clog loom mechanisms and mix with lubricating oil.

The result is a chain of consequences mills know well: thin places, gouts, oily streaks, and broken ends — if the warp becomes too hairy, the reed forms a ball of fiber between the reed and heald shaft, and if small enough, that ball passes through and becomes a defect woven directly into the fabric.

Sizing helps — but it doesn't solve the problem at the source

Warp yarns are typically sized — coated with protective agents like starch or polyvinyl alcohol to improve abrasion resistance and reduce friction. This is a necessary step, but it addresses the yarn side of the equation. The eyelet itself — the physical surface the yarn contacts thousands of times per minute — is the other half of the equation, and it's often overlooked.

What eyelet geometry actually does

Heald design research is specific about which physical features reduce yarn damage at this contact point. Rounding the front and rear edges of the heald reduces stress on the yarn. A planar lateral surface at the eyelet — without sharp upper or lower corners — prevents the yarn from being forced onto edges where it could be wedged and damaged. This allows even thermally sensitive yarns to be processed at high operating speeds without damage from sharp edges or friction heat.

In other words: the smoother and more rounded the eyelet surface, the less mechanical stress the yarn absorbs on every single pass — which translates directly into less fiber shedding, less lint generation, and fewer downstream fabric defects.

Where ITG Group's healds and droppers fit?

ITG Group's healds and droppers are manufactured with this contact point as a quality priority. Made from 420J stainless steel — a grade selected for its superior hardness and corrosion resistance — the eyelet surface is smooth and abrasion-resistant, and components are processed through acid-washing, polishing, and electrolysis to further improve anti-rust performance and reduce surface friction at the point of yarn contact. This combination of material and finishing directly addresses the root causes of lint buildup: rough contact surfaces that break fibers rather than guide them.

The full ITG Group range covers closed and open type flat steel healds, steel wire healds with grooved mail-eye, drop wires (EO and EG types across multiple sizes), and specialty healds for linen weaving and jacquard looms — giving mills the ability to match eyelet type and finish to the specific yarn and fabric they're running.

For mills dealing with recurring lint-related defects or accelerated yarn wear, the heald and dropper eyelet is often the first place worth inspecting — not just the yarn.

If you'd like to review which heald and dropper specifications best match your current loom setup and yarn type, ITG Group's technical team can help.

Sources: Statista, Grand View Research, Femme Hub, Mordor Intelligence, Oxano.

The maritime and fishing sector is not a seasonal niche or a passing trend; it is a structural industry built on critical operational infrastructure. Mooring ropes, large-diameter hawsers, and industrial fishing nets sustain vessels, port operations, and aquaculture systems worldwide. This permanent dependency makes the segment a technical and commercial opportunity that goes far beyond traditional textile markets.

From a market perspective, the data confirms its relevance. The global fishing nets market was valued at approximately US $1.67 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.6% through 2034, driven by the expansion of commercial aquaculture and the increasing adoption of high-performance synthetic nets. This figure reflects only the fishing net segment and does not include mooring ropes, industrial hawsers, and other maritime applications, indicating that the total market linked to marine braided products is significantly larger.

Beyond its size, the attractiveness of this industry lies in its structural demand. Nets degrade due to constant abrasion and prolonged exposure to saline environments. Mooring ropes lose strength over time because of mechanical fatigue. Vessels require continuous maintenance. This dynamic creates consistent replacement cycles and lower volatility compared to textile markets driven by discretionary consumption.

The economic opportunity is directly connected to technical capability. Not all braiding machines are designed to manufacture competitive maritime products. Producing hawsers and large-diameter ropes requires reinforced frames, stable transmission systems, and sufficient motor power to maintain uniform tension in structures that can exceed 80 mm in diameter. In addition, the number of spindles directly affects braid density, improving load distribution and abrasion resistance—critical factors when products must withstand high dynamic loads.

The sector has also evolved toward high-performance synthetic fibers such as high-tenacity polyester, industrial nylon, technical polypropylene, and ultra-high-modulus fibers. These materials are progressively replacing metallic solutions in certain applications due to their lower weight and superior corrosion resistance. However, they require precise tension control and mechanical stability during the braiding process to preserve their structural properties.

In this market, purchasing decisions are based on performance, durability, and operational safety. This reduces price-only competition and enables stronger margins compared to conventional textile applications. The combination of application value, technical entry barriers, and structural demand creates favorable conditions for solid returns when supported by the appropriate production capabilities.

Braiding machines designed specifically for rope, hawser, and industrial maritime applications make it possible to participate competitively in this segment. In this context, the specialized solutions available within the ITG Group portfolio respond directly to the technical demands of the maritime and fishing industry, integrating large-diameter capacity, high spindle density, and operational stability for high-performance applications.

When investing in weaving equipment, heald frames are often underestimated. However, experienced textile professionals know that the performance, stability, and longevity of a loom depend heavily on the quality of its frames. Choosing the right heald frames is not just a technical decision — it is a strategic one that directly affects fabric quality, machine efficiency, and operating costs.

One of the first factors to consider is material quality. Heald frames must withstand continuous motion, tension, and vibration, especially in modern high-speed looms. Frames made from high-grade aluminum alloys or reinforced materials offer the best balance between strength and weight. A lighter frame reduces inertia, allowing smoother movement and higher operating speeds, while sufficient rigidity prevents deformation over time.

Another critical aspect is dimensional accuracy and structural stability. Poorly manufactured frames can warp or lose alignment, leading to uneven shed formation. This results in fabric defects, increased yarn breakage, and unnecessary stress on other loom components. Precision manufacturing and strict tolerances ensure consistent performance, even under demanding weaving conditions.

Surface finish and assembly quality also play an important role. Smooth surfaces reduce friction and wear, especially where frames interact with healds and droppers. High-quality welding, fastening, and joint design prevent loosening or micro-vibrations that can compromise fabric consistency and machine reliability over long production runs.

Compatibility is another key consideration. Heald frames must be engineered to match the specific loom type — whether rapier, air-jet, or projectile — as well as the operating speed, fabric style, and tension requirements of each application. Proper compatibility ensures stable motion, accurate shedding, and reduced mechanical stress, allowing the loom to operate efficiently without unnecessary vibration, adjustments, or premature wear. Frames that are correctly matched to the loom and fabric perform more reliably and support consistent production over long runs.

Maintenance and service life should not be overlooked. Frames designed with durability in mind reduce the frequency of replacements and maintenance interventions. Over time, this translates into lower operating costs, fewer unplanned stoppages, and more stable production schedules — all essential for competitive textile manufacturing.

The qualities outlined above — material strength, structural stability, dimensional precision, compatibility, and long-term durability — are exactly the principles behind the heald frames offered by ITG Group. Designed to perform in modern, high-speed weaving environments, ITG frames are compatible with leading loom brands such as Toyota, Tsudakoma, and Picanol, meeting the expectations of experienced textile producers. By prioritizing reliability, stability, and precise manufacturing, ITG Group’s heald frame solutions support consistent fabric quality and dependable production, day after day.