Environmentally-friendly technologies to be major focus at Textile Expo Dubai

"Textile production involves a number of wet processes that may use solvents and the produced wastewater is a major source of pollution," said Nick Webb, director of UAE-based, Streamline Marketing, which is organising Textile Exop Dubai in collaboration with UK-based XPO
Events / Turret Group.

"However, textile manufacturers are increasingly investing in new machinery, which requires less water and allows for a greater efficiency when process chemicals are used, and this is great news for government environmental agencies and pressure groups."

Taking place at Airport Expo Dubai from 20-23 March, Textile Expo Dubai is attracting more than 120 leading textile machinery manufacturers and over 4,000 trade visitors from major textile producing countries such as India, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Egypt.

Hong Kong-based manufacturer Gofront, which registered a revenue of US$15 million in 2004, will use the event to showcase a new generation of yarn dyeing machines which need significantly smaller amounts of water and dye.

Developed after two years of tests, the new machines can also help cut electricity and labour costs, while guaranteeing production of up to 3.5 batches of cotton per day.

Low labour costs and reduced energy usage and waste levels are features of yet another product, a new compact Polypropylene Multifilament Spinning machine, to be showcased by Indian manufacturer, Lohia Starlinger Limited. The environmentally-friendly machine is also extremely flexible and can produce good-quality yarn for a variety of industrial and apparel applications such as ropes, twines, sewing yarn, automotive interiors, swimming wear, undergarments, hosiery, medical textiles etc with winding speeds reaching upto 4000 m/minute.

Among the other exhibitors already confirmed are many of the industry's major players, including the Saurer Group, Fongs, SMIT SpA, Valentin Rius Clapers, Superba S.A.S., OBEM, Jaeggli MT, Biancalani SpA, THEN, Xorella AG, Avantec Srl, and Zimmer Austria. A main attraction for exhibitors is Dubai's strategic location within easy reach of major textile producing markets in the Indian sub-continent, Africa, the CIS countries and the Far East, as well as the world-class facilities available in the emirate.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance & Industry and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Textile Expo Dubai is officially supported by Temsad (Turkish Machinery Association), Kotma (Korean Textile Machinery Association), CTMA (Chinese Textile Machinery Association) and ITAMMA (Indian Textile Accessories and Machinery Manufacturers Association).

Running alongside the exhibition will be an international seminar which will feature technical presentations on the latest textile technologies. In addition, the show will give pre-registered visitors an opportunity to have pre-arranged meetings with exhibitors and industry associations.