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OMNIplus Summum & OMNIplus-X to be on show at ITMA

05 Jun '12

4 min read

At the occasion of the ITMA-Asia + CITME fair (12-16 June, Shanghai), Picanol will present a wide variety of weaving machines, both airjet and rapier. For the first time on the Asian continent the new OMNIplus Summum will be shown. This weaving machine will be the new platform for further developments in the airjet segment. The main highlights of this machine are the new insertion system and the Picanol BlueBox system, the new electronic platform for Picanol machines.

Besides the OMNIplus Summum, also the OMNIplus-X will be on display. This machine is developed and produced in Picanol's Suzhou plant in China, but using the proven OMNIplus 800 technology. The OMNIplus-X responds to the requirements of the Asian mid-end segment and comes in weaving widths of 190 cm and 220 cm.

As for the rapier machines, the highlight is an OptiMax weaving a technical fabric. On ITMA Barcelona Picanol presented the OptiMax in a guided positive gripper execution. Although available in all widths (up to 540 cm), this especially opens new perspectives in technical segments such as Coating fabrics, Primary and secondary carpet backing, Geogrids etc.

Other rapier machines on display are the GT-Max with jacquard and GTXplus, both machines produced in Suzhou. In total 6 Picanol machines will be on display. Five on its own booth (Hall E3, booth C10). One Picanol OptiMax with jacquard will be on display at the Bonas booth.

As one of the world's leading weaving machine manufacturers, Picanol has always had a very close relationship with the Asian textile industry. This relationship is not a matter of chance or coincidental developments: on the contrary, it is the result of long-term, strategic planning by the Picanol management.

In this firm belief, Picanol sent its first pioneers to explore the possibilities in the Far East, already in the early 1950s. Picanol took part in one of the first international exhibitions held in Beijing. This was the period when Picanol salesmanagers, still based in Ieper, criss-crossed the Orient to promote its weaving machines at exhibitions and technical seminars.

The growing installed base of Picanol machines in Asia, as well as the increasing demand for a higher level of service & support resulted in the establishment of the Picanol Service Centre, which was set up in Shanghai in 1987. A network of local service engineers was also established to serve the other South-Asian countries. As the installed base was steadily growing a local training centre was established in Bandung Indonesia. This served also as servicing and spare parts facility.

The next step in the history of Picanol in China was the set-up of PST, Picanol Suzhou Textile Machinery Works, thus starting its career as a Chinese textile machinery manufacturer. This set-up took place in 1994.

PST was Picanol's first production line outside Belgium, and the technology and organisation were based entirely on the assembly concept employed at the company's headquarters in Ieper. Today PST houses a complete production unit with 3 assembly lines for 4 product types, a mechatronics division, a sales, service and spare parts organization. The majority of the Chinese management, engineers and technicians have been trained in Belgium.

Another bridgehead in the Picanol organization is India. With head office in Delhi and branch offices in textile hubs like Mumbai and Coimbatore, the company has spread itself closer to customer. Picanol already had a good presence in the Indian market sinceyear 1956 and the machines were seen at almost all major textile and apparel companies. For Picanol also, India is one of the top markets, next only to China and out of all its networks, the Asian region particularly has helped the group in sustaining during the downturn of the last global crises.

Picanol