Forging an alliance to save an endangered lake
KARL MAYER is supporting the textile industry in Shengze with restructuring its technology to guarantee a cleaner environment
Shengze lies in the Wujiang District of Suzhou in eastern China, close to Lake Taihu, and is famous for its textile industry. This area has been regarded as the silk capital of China for just under a thousand years. Companies serving the entire textile value-added chain are based there, but it is known as a centre for water-jet weaving in particular – so far, so not good, since effluent from the looms flows straight into Lake Taihu and causes huge levels of pollution. The lake is constantly beset with algae blooms, which is harmful to the drinking water supply of millions of people and endangers the fish and plant life in the lake. One of the ways in which the central government and regional authorities have reacted to the problem is to draw up a plan for transforming the textile industry in Shengze. The aim is to modernise the water-jet looms in particular, and to replace them with alternative warp knitting technology. The district and town administrations are working closely with the well-known warp knitting machine manufacturer, KARL MAYER. “The Shengze administration is firmly convinced that we have the best partner on board for implementing this project of technology transformation,” says Yang ZengXing, the Managing Director of KARL MAYER (CHINA).
An experienced partner for an ambitious project
As the market leader in warp knitting machines and with a subsidiary in Changzhou, KARL MAYER is the ideal company for implementing the ambitious plans to improve the environment in Shengze – and the company has also had experience in this area of the market. This textile machinery manufacturer and its agent, ILLIES, have been supporting customers in Shengze for many years. The number of warp knitting machines installed there has been increasing, especially since 2011.
Representatives of the regional administration have been in talks with KARL MAYER since 2016 regarding the restructuring of the textile industry. A delegation of top-officials met end of January 2018 with the management of the KARL MAYER group and KARL MAYER (CHINA) in Wujiang/Shengze, and they were impressed by the innovativeness and expertise of this manufacturer. KARL MAYER (CHINA) lies just two hours by car from this area, and this is also contributing to the success of this cooperative venture.
“I am looking forward to KARL MAYER’s support in our environmental, restructuring and modernisation project,” says Mr. Fan Jian Long, member of the Standing Committee in Suzhou Wujiang, Party Secretary and Director of Shengze and the Wujiang High-Tech Zone – and his words were very well received. “The whole top management of KARL MAYER is heavily involved with what is happening in Shengze. Our company will provide the best support in developing the warp knitting sector,” assures KARL MAYER’s group CEO, Arno Gärtner.
This support involves providing efficient machines that deliver environmental advantages by incorporating the latest technical innovations. An example of this is the LEO system, which enables considerable amounts of energy to be saved when operating the machines. KARL MAYER’s company strategy is also focusing on the concept of digitalisation. This textile machinery manufacturer is also involved with Industry 4.0. It has implemented an efficient ERP system throughout more or less the entire company group, and set up a spare parts webshop for its customers. “The future will definitely be a digital era,” says Arno Gärtner.
In addition to technical solutions and systems, KARL MAYER also brings to the Shengze restructuring and transformation project a strong service team, trained instructors for providing courses leading to qualifications but, above all, experienced R&D experts. “KARL MAYER (CHINA) has set up a project team to provide the company’s 360° support and service, as well as textile development and training for its customers in the region,” says Yang ZengXing.
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