Intelligent Production Modules from DIENES support the Development of Innovative Filaments.
The ITMA motto “Master the Art of Sustainable Innovation” reflects the key challenges of the textile industry and mechanical engineering. Nicolai Strauch from the VDMA Textile Machinery discusses prior to the annual “VDMA Textile Machinery Forum” with member companies, how they bring to life the often used vague term “sustainability” through their technologies and concepts. Among others, he was in conversation with Steffen Mueller Probandt, managing partner of DIENES Apparatebau GmbH in Mühlheim, Germany.
With modular platforms and flexible machine concepts DIENES supports research institutions in developing innovative filaments. In particular, the MultiMode® systems can link the production steps for product development in an intelligent way, as managing director Steffen Mueller Probandt explained during the VDMA interview. Thus DIENES comply with the requirements of the textile engineering by increasing efficiency and productivity.
Mr. Müller-Probandt, DIENES cooperates with textile machinery manufacturers for about 60 years. How can your company contribute to the orientation of this industry towards sustainability?
The main focus of the textile manufacturers in Europe has increasingly developed towards production of technical textiles. Thereby they work on the perfection of the processing techniques. Here applies mainly to realize the complex production processes efficiently. Of course, the main focus here is to reduce the energy consumption of the systems.
What does functional integration mean for DIENES as a supplier of machines and components for the chemical fiber production?
The trend towards functional integration affects us in two ways. Firstly, DIENES has taken on the task to support research institutions in fiber technology by a modular pilot line in the development of innovative filaments. Therefore intelligent production modules have been developed which can be combined modularly, so that the pilot line can be adapted accordingly to new insights learned during the development phase. Secondly in the ever more globalized world of engineering growing efficiency and productivity is needed. That’s why integrated solutions are needed, which become more and more efficient.
What opportunities does the functional integration offer for DIENES?
The opportunity lies in the continuous improvement process of our modules. Due to always new requirements from different applications and their integration, the performance of modules increases and this results in the added value for customers. Ultimately it comes to the increase of efficiency and productivity.
What benefit can the users of your MultiMode® systems draw from the functional integration? Function integration is the intelligent networking of production steps for product development. With the term „function“ we combine the production of the filament as a process.
DIENES aims to support research facilities which are working to develop new innovative filaments to be prepared for an efficient, systematic and partly self-optimizing experimental work.
Generally each module of a MultiMode® line is operated independently and individually. With the master functionality, all individual modules can be configured by the user to a line. The system is seen as an intelligent and modular platform.
Where do you see in the coming years the most potential for functional integration in textile machinery production? Consistent system concepts are asked. It can be seen on the major project “Industrial 4.0”, where an increasingly strong trend can be recognized to network data from production processes intelligently. This leads to increasingly powerful machine controls which are necessary.
Of course this requires in return to separate the relevant information from this mass of data to generate real added value. Therefore, the targeted functional integration becomes more and more important.
Does the power efficiency of your lines play a role for your customers?
Yes, the subject plays an increasingly important role in our field. We work in cooperation with the companies Rauschert and the Frauenhofer Institut upon an energy management system (EMS), which can analyze and control centrally the energy consumption of a company. Herein either all electrical consumers can be detected as well as other consumption such as gas, water, etc. Moreover the EMS can be integrated into the MultiMode® lines.
? For product and process developments you go temporarily into partnerships with research institutes. How is this cooperation carried out specifically?
These partnerships are of course interesting for both sides. DIENES is benefiting primarily from cooperation in multidisciplinary teams, where new products and processes are developed and researched. In addition, infrastructures are necessary for many experiments that are available in the local laboratory halls. Of course, innovations are much easier to test in a laboratory than in a running 24-hour industrial production. In return, the labs always get the latest technology.
? What products will DIENES present at ITMA in Milan? DIENES will present firstly the MultiMode® laboratory lines and secondly something from the field of the high temperautre Godets.
