CREALET is a world-leading Swiss manufacturer of electronic warp feeding systems for both wide and narrow fabric weaving. Its core business is the development and manufacture of electronically controlled warp thread feeding systems for wide and narrow weaving and warp knitting machines, as well as the distribution of complementary products and the design and manufacture of special machines for a wide range of industries.
Interview with Andreas Wirz, CEO of CREALET AG.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Andreas Wirz: CREALET develops electronically controlled warp let-off systems for narrow, wide and warp knitting machines. The systems are mainly used in the field of technical fabrics, where high process stability and efficiency increase are required, and fabric quality plays an important role.
The products are used to eliminate non-value-adding activities and create more value-adding processes in the sense of lean production.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
A.W: CREALET will be exhibiting their new products during ITMA, 08-14 June 2023, in Milan, Italy. ITMA is the world’s largest international textile and garment technology exhibition and is recognized as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment technology industry. In addition to the new developments, there will also be a wide range of innovative developments in the field of warp thread feeding, giving customers the opportunity to exchange information on new products and applications. Also, further information about the complementary products will be available.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
A.W: CREALET warp feeding solutions cover all applications of warp thread feeding to weaving machines, be it from warp beams and selvedge bobbins or from additional warp beams off weaving machines, but solutions are also available for creel weaving. Our complementary products include sectional warpers, direct warpers, creels, tensioning systems and warp stop motions for creels, selvedge bobbin warpers, batching motions and fabric foaming machines. For warp knitting, a range of products are available for precision let-off and optimum machine control, traversing scanners, yarn break detection and computerized process analyzers.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
A.W: The demands on electronic warp tension control are constantly increasing, especially in technical tape weaving. The required solutions are very customer specific and lead to customised solutions where cost is always a decisive factor. This is where CREALET’s almost 20 years of experience comes into play and helps to find creative solutions.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
A.W: In technical fabrics, customers are developing sophisticated fabrics for increasingly specific applications. For this reason, customers protect their know-how and look for partners who are willing to sign non-disclosure agreements. CREALET is ready to confirm its reliability and strengthen mutual trust by signing such agreements. This is an increasingly important factor in business relationships.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
A.W: The most innovative products are used in the production of medical fabrics. In this field, high demands are placed on the accuracy, reproducibility and reliability of the weaving processes. Terminal PCs are used to meet these requirements. Important parameters are displayed on a high-resolution screen and can be recorded.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?
A.W: The year 2022 will soon be history. There are still some projects that could be completed, provided that priorities do not change significantly due to the various current problems in the world.