For 70 years, Brückner has been the worldwide partner for all companies which are drying, coating and finishing web-shaped materials: whether clothing fabrics, nonwovens, carpet, glass or coatings – the variety of materials to be processed has never been limited. Today, it is no longer just a question of machines, but rather of automation and control systems. The topic of digitization and Industry 4.0 opens up completely new possibilities for increasing productivity, reducing the use of resources and improving quality. In addition, an increasing shortage of skilled workers can be addressed by more intelligent software.

Intelligent software

Brückner has invested, developed and implemented a lot in this area in recent years:

Intelligent assistance systems monitor the machine settings in the background and provide the machine operator with information on how to run the system even more productively and consuming less resources. Studies have shown that optimizing production parameters can increase production speed by up to 40 percent and/or reduce energy consumption by up to 30 percent.

A newly developed simulation tool helps to optimize existing recipes. The many machine parameters to be set have been reduced to the essentials and can in future be calculated automatically on the basis of the textile key data.

For the service, there is a new maintenance tool that proactively gives the machine operator or maintenance department service instructions that can be tracked in a logbook. In future, a newly developed online service platform will support our customers with all service inquiries. The technicians communicate directly with the customer via video conferencing – partly with augmented reality. Documents such as circuit diagrams or maintenance manuals can be viewed and explained together and spare parts can be ordered directly. For regular maintenance processes, photo or video illustrations can be stored in local language.zTechnically caused downtimes can be significantly reduced by these new systems. This increases system availability and thus productivity.

The exchange of machine data with higher-level control station or ERP systems is easily possible with OPC-UA. This allows to rationalize processes in the textile factory and to monitor the quality.

Denim in sight

For example, Brückner has invested a lot in the denim sector and has also increased its personnel. The German market leader offers integrated finishing systems for pigment dyeing, synthetic resin finishing and coating: All components from the entry area, padder, IR pre-dryer, minimum application unit, coating unit, stenter, curing / hotflue, cooling, to the exit area are available from the market leader and systems supplier Brückner. Top-dyeing or finishing of both sides of the fabric is usually carried out with the Brückner padder. One-sided functionalization or dyeing is carried out with the minimum application unit. The experts from Brückner answer any question and are happy to explain the advantages of the respective processes. Particularly noteworthy is the economical finishing with minimum application technology and another important component in the finishing of denim fabrics is the proven Brückner? Sanfor line Power-Shrink, which will be presented at this trade fair. The specialists at ITMA will be happy to provide further information.

Continuous dyeing

Brückner can offer new concepts in the field of continuous dyeing. The continuously improved Power-Infratherm IR pre-dryer has heating and cooling times of less than five seconds. The stripe-free drying burner segments made of special metal fibre and the large temperature control range ensure the consistent and reproducible high fabric quality.

The Brückner Power-Colortherm Hotflue ensures uniform drying of the fabric over the entire width of the chambers. Even with narrow fabric webs on a wider machine, the dyeing results are optimal. Due to the symmetrical design and the inverter-controlled fans, the uniform air distribution through the upper and lower nozzles makes a volume adjustment via mechanical flaps superfluous. Optionally available are patented, driven special spreading rollers for crease-free operation with sensitive fabrics (stripe satin / percale / weft-elastic fabric) as well as a highly effective, fully automatic roller cleaning system.

With the new Brückner Power-Frame VNE multi-layer stenter, only one machine operator is required, as the entry and the exit are on the same machine side. This applies both to the version with two and with six fabric passages. The new VNE machine concept offers the highest possible power density on a small floor space or a long air flow section in a very confined space. The dryer itself is equipped with Brückner’s patented split-flow air circulation system and the alternating arrangement in each half compartment additionally ensures optimum and uniform air circulation and thermal treatment of the fabric. Another advantage is the completely lubricant-free fabric transport chain of the multi-layer stenter, because in this version there is absolutely no oil in the dryer interior.

Brückner at the ITMA, Barcelona

Hall 1, stand A 203