Monforts at ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025: Driving Innovation, Sustainability and Smart Finishing
October 01 2025 | By Textile Outlook India
In this exclusive interview with Textile Outlook India, Hans Wroblowski, Area Sales Manager at A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co., outlines how Monforts is transforming textile finishing with sustainable technologies, automation, and its long-standing partnership with A.T.E. across India and Asia.
Q. As a global leader in textile engineering, how do you see ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025 serving as a stage to showcase innovation and connect with Asian as well as international markets?
Even as China remains the world’s largest apparel exporter, production and capacity expansions across ASEAN and South Asia are driving the next wave of textile machinery investments. The ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition in Shanghai last year attracted approximately 90,000 visitors but there has been strong demand for a second Asian show to reach other buyers. Singapore as a location for this is perfect. It has a top-tier customs efficiency and third-party logistics ecosystem, while its airport connects more than 100 airlines to approximately 170 cities. A temporary import and admissions scheme further suspends duties for time-limited displays and makes participation as easy as possible for exhibitors and their forwarders.
Q. Your partnership with A.T.E. Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. has spanned many years. In what ways has this collaboration enhanced your presence and growth in the Indian market?
India is a significant market for us, and we have developed long-standing relationships of mutual trust with many of the leading textile manufacturers, who appreciate our ongoing service programmes. As our representative in India, A.T.E. has proved the perfect partner in installing and commissioning Monforts machines, with its service team working side by side with our own engineers to ensure the machines fully meet every customer expectation. A.T.E. has also invested in the training of sales and service staff on Monforts technology.
Q. Which breakthrough technologies or solutions will your company be presenting at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025, and how do they address the evolving needs of the global textile industry?
In Singapore we will introduce the new VertiDry – a vertical dryer for use in combination with coating machines, padders or Monforts EcoApplicator units. This is being launched in response to demands from the market for a space and energy saving vertical dryer to fulfil the demand for CO2 reduction and the need to integrate drying into special processes, especially in the treatment of technical textiles It’s a fully contactless and energy optimized convection dryer intended for use in combination with a stenter, either before or after it, depending on the specific application, for the essential pre-drying of sensitive fabrics, as well as after the coating of airbags, denim fabrics and glass-fibre substrates. Other envisaged applications include the finishing of sportswear, outerwear, carpets, geotextiles and tarpaulins. The VertiDry can be integrated into both new and existing finishing lines and a single unit can accommodate approximately eight metres of fabric at any given time and multi-storey versions are also possible. This makes it very adaptable to finishing line configurations.
We’ll also be announcing a breakthrough combination of technologies developed with our partners in the field of advanced textile dyeing which I can’t unfortunately say too much about before the show.
Q. With sustainability shaping the textile industry’s future, how is your company advancing innovations that balance resource efficiency with environmental responsibility?
We are constantly updating and improving our machines for resource efficiency. With the latest Montex stenters, for example, overall energy savings of up to 40% can now be achieved compared to a conventional stenter with no heat recovery or energy optimisation measures. The retrofitting of specific modules with new control and drive technology – going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts – can also have a significant impact on the performance of an existing line. This is especially the case in achieving further energy savings. The company’s universal Energy Tower, for example – a flexible, free-standing air/air heat exchanger for recovering the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal processes – can result in an up to 30% reduction in the energy consumed by a line, depending on the controlled exhaust air volume and operating temperature. The Monforts Eco Booster, which is completely integrated into the chamber design of the latest Montex stenters, is another retrofitting option. This single state-of-the-art heat recovery system with automatic cleaning can be added to existing ranges to achieve significant energy savings.
Q. How do your technologies support circularity and recycling in textiles—especially in areas like man-made fibres, technical textiles, or waste reduction?
For us, sustainability is a business imperative – we aim to cut our own CO2 emissions by up to 50% by 2030 while continuing to develop machinery that supports a cleaner, safer future. In addition to the measures already mentioned, Monforts is also currently leading a consortium of industrial partners and universities in the three-year WasserSTOFF project to explore all aspects of green hydrogen as a fast-rising new industrial energy option. Green hydrogen’s potential as a clean fuel source is
tremendous, but there is much we need to explore when considering its use in textile finishing processes. Everybody knows that textile finishing is a high energy consuming process and as a technology leader we are rising to the challenge of exploring alternative heating options to be ready for the future.
Q. How is your company leveraging digital solutions, automation, and smart factory concepts to enhance productivity and ensure consistency for textile manufacturers?
We are advancing digital and automated solutions to give mills greater process control and reduce energy consumption. These technologies not only drive efficiency but also underpin our sustainability goals. The global textile industry is reshaping itself through technology, sustainability and shifting consumer demands. Monforts is ready to respond with continued investment in digitalization and automation, alongside technologies that lower resource use and emissions.
Q. With India rapidly emerging as a global textile hub, what strategic role does the country play in your company’s global vision, and how do you foresee demand shaping up in this market?
The shift towards man-made fibres (MMFs) and the expansion of dyeing and processing capacity signal a new growth chapter for India’s textile industry. For Monforts, this means evolving from a pure machine supplier into a consultative partner. We can guide mills in transitioning to MMF production, while our state-of-the-art machinery and automation tools improve efficiency, cut water and energy use, and meet environmental standards. Training programmes help upskill workforces in handling MMF and modern dyeing techniques, while our sustainability expertise covers everything from water reduction to eco-friendly dyes. By integrating supply chains and embedding sustainable practices, we can help Indian customers seize these opportunities on a global scale.
Q. What permanent shifts in buyer expectations or supply chain models have you observed post-Covid, and how are your solutions enabling manufacturers to adapt?
Since Covid-19, energy prices have continued to be extremely high for textile manufacturers virtually everywhere and this has become a major concern for manufacturers. At the same time, the recruitment of skilled workers has become an issue. We remain committed to our focus on faster, more efficient technologies that minimise the use of all resources and also simplify operations through automation.
Q. Are you exploring any joint research, co-innovation, or technology-transfer initiatives with A.T.E. or Indian industry players to better serve this market?
With A.T.E. we are constantly reinforcing local support on a local level, working closely with customers to tailor solutions to their needs. Comprehensive after-sales support – from training and remote diagnostics to fast service – ensures machines deliver maximum long-term value.
Q. As Indian textile entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders gear up for ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025, what message would you like to share with them about your technologies?
German textile machinery is known for its precision engineering, ensuring high levels of accuracy in textile production. Alongside other members of the VDMA’s textile machinery association, Monforts prides itself on rapidly responding to market requests and the aftersales services that are provided to our customers worldwide. Come and talk to us in Singapore!
#TAGS textile finishing, sustainable technologies, A.T.E. Group, German textile machinery, VDMA textile machinery association, man-made fibres, global textile industry, Montex stenters, Monforts Eco Booster, VertiDry, Monforts EcoApplicator units,