Market-leading knitted fabric manufacturers from Portugal to Pakistan rely on Monforts Montex stenters for accurate and highly automated handling during essential drying after dyeing and other processes.

“Knitted fabrics need delicate handling as they often have a higher degree of elasticity compared to more rigid woven materials,” explains Monforts marketing manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “Our Montex stenters provide smooth treatment at very low and precisely controlled tension during all stages of knitted fabric handling, as well as very gentle and even thermal treatment. The Montex is extremely flexible in terms of the different fabric qualities it can accommodate and also provides significant benefits in terms of energy consumption.”

As one of the largest dyers in Europe, ATB – Acabamentos Têxteis de Barcelos – founded by Mário Mano in 1985 in Barcelos in northern Portugal, is dyeing and finishing between 36-40 tons of fabric on a daily basis for key customers including Benetton, Inditex and Mango.

ATB installed its first Monforts Montex stenter frame in 1990 and has subsequently ordered four more over the years. All are 2.8 metres wide and use heat recovery units for increased energy efficiency and also the latest control equipment, to grant the highest possible process quality/reproducibility. In addition, the ATB plant is equipped with  two Monforts Dynair relaxation dryers and one EcoApplicator.

The company’s latest fully-integrated knitwear plant in Faisalabad, Pakistan, is being equipped to produce fifty tons of knitted and dyed fabrics on a daily basis, for the production of 45 million finished garments annually.

The 1.25 million-square-foot facility is Interloop’s most technologically advanced to date and has earned the highest LEED score for a facility of its scale. It is powered extensively by renewable energy, including biomass boilers, and is supported by advanced water management and effluent treatment systems.

“Monforts Montex stenters are the industry standard for the fabric finishing industry, and offer knitwear manufacturers a number of advantages in terms of sensitive handling and precise control, production throughput and energy efficiency and savings,” concludes Nicole Croonenbroek. “Our machines remain unmatched in terms of their robustness and long service life and are reinforced by our commitment to customer service based on four principles – being helpful, accurate, fast and reliable.”

Source : Innovation in Textiles