With the solutions it offers, Benninger AG, which is the market and technology leader in the field of wet finishing, shapes the trends in the global market. The company that has recently made a name for itself with its eco-friendly and cost reducing finishing machines, experienced a successful process at ITM 2012. The booth organized by the company with its agency in Turkey, Benninger Dinçer Textile Machinery, owned by Erdinç Dinçer, hosted many business meetings. We made an interview with Gerhard Huber, CEO of Benninger, about the works and innovative technologies of Benninger. Huber made important statements about the market that went into a change after ITMA Barcelona.
Gerhard Huber underlined that thanks its experience and perfect reputation, Benninger, which has a history of more than 150 years, has been the market and technology leader in the field of wet finishing for a very long time. “Benninger offers holistic and sustainable solutions to the demands of its customers. Therefore it represents technology, quality and customers’ interests and in this regard it provides its ‘life long’ customers with a remarkable added value,” said Huber.
Not Only Machinery but Also a Holistic Solution is Demanded
Gerhard stated that in the recent years they’ve observed significant changes in the demands of the textile customers. Gerhard added that today, only supplying machinery is not enough. Huber emphasized that the textile manufacturers want to be supported by a developer of an expert system that would help them in every field in every way. Huber continued by saying; “Therefore, in addition to the mechanical systems we provide, we expanded our service portfolio towards the fields including chemical industry, technological solutions, efficiency and operating costs. In addition, we managed to optimize the resource balances a shot time ago. The study we carried out on ‘carbon footprint’ is the latest example of this. Shortly, Benninger has become a business partner on a more comprehensive and holistic platform.”
Huber stated that Benninger has undertaken a key role in determining the technological trends and in drawing new ways and with this competence, it has become a brand, preferred by its customers. Huber stated that with these experiences, providing the customers with holictic solutions for the entire process, has attracted great interest. Huber added that Benninger is a leading company in providing the machinery with a concept and for that reason the technologies they produce are being copied. Huber emphasized that rather than by manufacturing the demanded machines, they achieved success by manufacturing machines which are one step ahead of the demanded ones. Huber mentioned the machines that has recently stood out; “Trifolex Drum Washer for tensionless and unmixed fabric processing, Benninger-Küsters-DyePad with the original S-Roll technology for cold pad batch (CPB) dyeing, and Mercerizing-Concept appropriate for the weaving of causitizing viscose fibers and knitted fibers.”
Huber stated that in the wet finishing segment, Benninger operates actively in all processes, which are resource management and waste water recycling systems and mercerizing processes in the washing, bleaching, dyeing, weaving and knitting segments. Huber said that Benninger-Tricoflex Washing Trough and Benninger-Küsters Dye-Pad Benninger are the leading technologies for these processes.
Huber reminded that Benninger is regarded as the ‘technology leader’ in its traditional segment and that they are also described as the producer of the technologies through which the best technologies of highest quality is provided and sustainable parts are used. Huber emphasized that they continuously carry out studies in product development, methods and processes in order to create this perception, which are vital prerequisites for a technology producer. “As Benninger, we’ve adopted a comprehensive system supplying approach that offers long-term sustainable solutions in management, productivity, operating costs and environmental impact. Therefore we create added value for our customers,” said Huber.
Huber reminded that Factor+, which the Swiss machinery manufacturers are the members of, assure the customers about quality and that as a member of Factor+, Benninger carries out its activities with quality technology and perfect service. “These superior features and “Swissness” will continue to be emphasized within the frame of Factor+ campaign,” said Huber.
Benninger Overcomes the Global Crisis through the Right Strategy
Huber stated that in 2011 Benninger took a positive stance in the market in finishing of knitted and woven fabrics and mercerizing technologies. Huber said that the company, which made a slow start to 2012, expect a dynamism in the second half of the year. Stating that the orders received assert the increase in the second half of 2012, Huber said that Kuster CPB station attracts an intense interest especially in the open width finishing and knitting segments.
Huber stated that after the global financial and economic crisis that affected all the sectors deeply, important changes have been observed in the market dynamics, atmosphere and demands however with its functional and strategic approaches, Benninger has overcome the process successfully. “By this way, we continue to provide added value for our customers,” said Huber commented on the developing markets. “Asia, especially India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailad will gain importance as they have in the recent years. However Benninger will continue to develop by maintaining its presence in the traditional European, North African and South American markets. Gerhard Huber also shared his views on the Turkish market and said that they offer their entire product portfolio designed for the weaving and knitting segments to the market. “Turkey is an important market for Benninger and we have a strong relationship with our long-term customers in Turkey,” said Huber.
Beninger’s Carbon Footprint
Gerhard Huber reminded that the carbon footprint is used to describe the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by a product and that an awareness can only be created as long as the real figures are announced permanently. “Benninger has taken a global leading role in informing the final users about the carbon footprint of the textile products. In this regard it performed the customers’ lifecycle (cradle to grave) assessments. Besided, the textile engineers and experts are informed in detail about each single textile process and recipe. These two actions will open new sights and strengthen the awareness to avoid CO2 emissions. These are the steps for new innovations and for a clearer world.
Huber underlined that swift and fast production focused only on profit, has been left behind in the industrial production. Huber stated that they are happy to see new trends related to sustainability, careful use of resources and energy efficiency. “While shaping the textile machinery industry, this new trend will contribute to establishing new partnerships and improving the textile products,” said Huber.
Huber underlined that within the frame of this technological development, it is a positive thing that the JET technologies have been replaced by the CPB (cold pad batch) based systems. Huber added that by using recycable resources sych as water and energy, CPB systems offer a great advantage in reaching a stable quality. Huber added that at this point, through Original Benninger Küsters DyePad, which decreases carbon emission by 60 percent, Benninger offers sustainable technologies to its customers.
A Close Look at Benninger AG
With its history of more than 150 years, the Swiss company Benninger, which is a member of Factor+, has created various innovative technologies in the textile finishing, cord fabric automation segment. The company that was established in 1859, in Uzwil, produced width-dyeing and beaming machines and sectional warps. The company that performed its firs exports in 1990, started to give weight to the foreign investments in 1990-92. In the same period, the Germany based J. Krückles KG was acquired, Benninger Far East Ltd was founded in Hong Kong and Benninger India Ltd was founded in India. In 1995, Benninger Textile Machinery Co. Ltd was founded in Shanghai, China and later in 2011, the Germany-based Kleinwefers Textilmaschinen GmbH with wet finishing programme, was acquired. The company strengthened its product portfolio by acquiring the Germany-based Küsters Tewtile GmbH in 2007. In 2008, the company sold its weaving preparation unit to the Germany-based Karl Mayer Group.
Today, Benninger textile finishing and cord production machines are preferred on a broad area from classical textiles to the technical textiles. The company’s plants located in Uzwill, Switzerland and Zell and Zittau, Germany have ISO 9001 certificates. The company also has a strong position in the Asian and European markets and since 2009, it has been strongly represented in Turkey by Benninger Dinçer Textile Machinery, owned by Erdinç Dinçer.
The company that is engaged in textile finishing, is also focused on Ben-Wash, Ben-Ben-Blench, Ben-Dimensa, Küsters Pad-Batch Dyeing Machine and Knit-Line processes. The popular Carbon Footprint Label, introduced last period by Benninger, emphasizes the low water consumption of the Benninger finishing machines for knitted and woven fabrics. This feature is also accompanied by low energy consumption and CO2 emission. By recycling water and energy with Benninger machines, the textile systems canceled out disposing the waste water into the channel.
