A Turkish company specialising in the dyeing and finishing of synthetic warp and weft knitted fabrics has invested in a Montex 6500-6F TwinAir stenter to gain competitive advantage through flexibility.

Yalcin Tekstil, located at Cerkezkoy, about one hour from Istanbul on the E80 highway, was founded twenty years ago and is highly experienced in finishing synthetic fabrics. Company director Baran Arin says that the intention in adding the Monforts machine to the production line was to be able to offer faster and more flexible production times to its customers.

“Some work is done on a commission dyeing and finishing basis, some work is for our own elastic warp knitted fabrics. The products are either destined for the domestic market or are exported,” says Mr Arin. “This means that we have to supply optimum quality, to tight deadlines, and in greatly varying quantities. Consequently, the Montex 6500 is an important investment for us.”

Yalcin had earlier installed two other Monforts stenters of 1997 and 2001 vintage and the new machine is working alongside these older models. Mr Arin says that the design of the stenter enables the company to provide any finishing effect that is needed, and that small production runs are easy to cater for because of the simplicity of the computerised operation.

“We specialise in the treatment of synthetic warp knit fabrics ranging from 20 gsm to 350 gsm and also circular knit fabrics of polyester, polyamide or elastane blends,” he says.

“That means a lot of our customers are producing highly creative garments, underwear and sportswear products, sometimes in relatively small production runs. We can therefore produce what is needed to meet their design criteria, and as much of the produce is for the fast-moving fashion sector, we have to ensure that we can meet not just the production challenges but also the very demanding delivery schedules.”

As with the earlier models, the Montex 6500 has been supplied by Monforts’ Turkish representative, Masters Tekstil, which also provides training and maintenance services. The new machine has six chambers, like the other two Monforts stenters in the factory. The basic configuration of the TwinAir system means that all drive elements are located outside the heated chamber and are accessible from the outside, which is said to minimise downtime when maintenance operations are performed.

“In addition to the size and capacity of the Montex 6500, we are very impressed by the machine’s heat recovery system,” says Mr Arin. “Energy savings are a major factor in the textile industry throughout Turkey, both for environmental responsibility and also of course for cost-efficient working.”

Cerkezkoy, being so close to Istanbul with its seaport and airport, and with a plentiful water supply, has seen many Turkish textile production companies setting up factories over the past few decades.

“The future of the industry here in Turkey lies in quality,” says Mr Arin. “Other producing countries can manufacture in bulk, but Turkey has the reputation for quality and fastness of service. Consequently, companies like ours have to not only maintain their quality, but also continually strive towards improvement.”