At its first appearance at the world’s premier garment and textile technology exhibition, Meech will use its stand (H8.1 – A201) to demonstrate, to the show’s thousands of visitors, its proven track record of solving a range of static and cleaning related issues in textile production.
“Static can pose challenges to any textile manufacturer,” says Adam Battrick, Sales Director at Meech. “But where synthetic fibres are concerned its effect is even greater, so as synthetic textiles continue to grow as a proportion of the overall market, the need for more robust static control solutions will grow with them. Furthermore, with textile technology leading to an ever-increasing variety of wearable technology applications, the potential for static to arise and cause significant problems is greater still. Meech’s expertise in managing static-related issues in production environments is unrivalled and we’re delighted to be sharing some of the many solutions we have developed over the years at ITMA this year.”
Some of the most common static-related challenges faced within the industry include issues arising in the extruding and slitting process to produce synthetic fibres such as nylon, polyester and polypropylene, as well as range of other problems like warping or beaming, carding, raising and calendaring. Beyond textile manufacture, printing and inspection processes can also generate static and a variety of associated problems, from quality concerns, to damaged machinery and potentially issues around operator safety.
Battrick continues: “One of Meech’s most popular tools to combat static-related problems is its range of HyperionTM pulsed DC ionising bars, including the 924s, 924IPS, 960IPS and 971IPS–30kV, and the Hyperion 233v4 Pulsed DC Controller; all of which will be on display this month in Barcelona. This industry-leading range provides short, medium and long-distance static elimination and can be installed quickly and easily onto textile manufacturing lines. Furthermore, with Meech’s SmartControl, connected HyperionTM devices can be altered quickly and easily with remote monitoring and control through mobile devices which allows operators to make alterations and adjustment to up to six static control devices, wherever they are.”
Meech will also be showcasing its full range of Static EX (Hazardous Areas) ionising products. Designed for places where fire or explosion hazards may exist due to the presence of flammable materials, the Meech EX range is well suited to a wide range of textile applications, given the highly flammable nature of many synthetic fibres. Electrical equipment installed in such locations must be specially designed and tested to ensure its suitability. The Meech EX range has been comprehensively tested to meet these rigorous safety requirements.
As much as the presence of static is often a problem to be solved on textile manufacturing lines – it can also be a solution in itself – providing a reliable, temporary pinning or bonding solution. A range of Meech’s static generation products will be displayed on the stand including IonCharge 50, IonCharge 30 and the 993r Spark Free Generator Bar. Meech experts will be on hand to demonstrate how these solutions can provide a simple, cost-effective productivity boost.
Finally, Meech will also be displaying its complete range of web cleaning systems, including the TakCleanTM and CyCleanTM. With specially formulated TransTak elastomer contact cleaning rollers, the TakCleanTM, suitable for narrow web applications, physically picks up and removes dry, unbonded contamination from the web’s surface, whereas the CyCleanTM, Meech’s leading non-contact system, is a compact device capable of handling virtually any substrate. Its optimised cleaning efficiency allows the removal of contamination to below 1 micron.
Battrick concludes: “We’re very excited to be exhibiting for the first time at ITMA. This exhibition is the key platform for technological innovation in the massive and growing textiles market and Meech has a proven track record of combining the latest technology and industry expertise to help businesses to become safer, more productive and more profitable. We look forward to demonstrating this to an even bigger audience.”