The sister company Oerlikon Neumag also contributed corresponding e-save components at an ex-ceedingly early stage. For example, the BCF tangle unit RoTac3 enables high energy savings through its targeted use of compressed air. Tangle knots are created with a pulsating rather than a continuous airflow, as is the case with conventional tangle processes. This means that compressed air is only ever used when a tangle knot is to be created. This significantly reduces the required volume flow or compressed air consumption - by up to 50 percent compared to conventional tangle units, depending on the yarn type. The component is naturally installed in Oerlikon Neumag's BCF S8 carpet yarn system, the most modern of its kind in the world. It makes a significant contribution to the energy-efficient production of carpet yarns. However, the system also convinces with impressive data thanks to the overall concept: Plant efficiency of 99%, higher throughputs of up to 15% and energy savings of up to 5% per kilogram of yarn.
Less energy - more productivity
Compared to standard DTY machines, the Oerlikon Barmag eAFK Evo offers 30 % higher productivity with 20 % less energy consumption per kilogram of textured yarn. The significant increase in machine speed and the 50 % shorter texturing zone compared to a conventional machine ensure an exceptionally stable texturing process that enables maximum productivity and the lowest operating costs. The core component of the machine is the EvoCooler, whose sustainable cooling principle is based on the evaporation of water. This active cooling technology with direct contact to the yarn is independent of the ambient temperature and requires no additional energy. In addition, the low heat emission to the environment reduces the requirements for hall air conditioning. The collected coolant is recirculated and can therefore be recycled.
"Precisely coordinated process steps in the textile value chain also offer potential in terms of efficiency. One example is the WINGS POY HD and eAFK Big V high-titer concept, which is designed for a carpet and home textile product range that uses particularly soft and bulky polyester yarns with BCF-like properties. The aim here is to produce yarns with a maximum count of 1200den with over 1000 filaments. As standard, DTY yarns up to 1200den with up to 1152 filaments from four POY bobbins 300den/288f are spun together on a DTY machine", says Jochen Adler. However, the process has a fundamental disadvantage: half of the available winding positions on a texturing machine re-main unused. This is where the spinning concept with a WINGS POY HD take-up unit in combination with an automatic eAFK Big V multi-spindle texturing machine offers a highly efficient solution - currently the only one on the market.
Water - a contested resource
The most recent example of a sustainable e-save technology is the Oerlikon Neumag EvoSteam staple fiber plant. Here, too, the relevant process steps in terms of sustainability were already taken into account during development. The innovative process does not require water baths. The result: water savings of up to 3.5 million liters per year, significantly lower consumption of drying energy and preparation, and ultimately a reduction in the CO2 footprint of up to 20 %. An optimized draw point release makes the EvoSteam staple fiber system up to 12% more efficient than previous concepts. Overall, the EvoSteam process reduces production waste by up to 50 % while at the same time saving up to 8 % energy.
Another example: the pollution of water by dyeing textiles is a much-discussed topic. With the help of the 3DD mixer technology once developed at Oerlikon Barmag, manmade fiber production offers the injection of color pigments as a masterbatch as early as the melt preparation stage - this really is an exceptionally clean alternative. A nice side effect: the dyeing of these spundyed yarns is much more uniform than bath dyeing of bobbins or textile surfaces, and the color fastness is unsurpassed. In addition, the spun material retains its color almost forever.
Last but not least - the entire textile industry is striving for solutions for a functioning and all-encompassing circular economy. Together with its joint venture partner BB Engineering, Oerlikon Bar-mag already has at least one solution for a zero waste manmade fiber spinning mill on offer. With the help of the VacuFil technology, production waste can be reprocessed to a high quality in the spinning mill so that the waste material can be directly reintroduced into the melt flow.
On top: bluesign certification
A good 20 years after the introduction of the e-save label as a voluntary commitment by Oerlikon, the company is following suit and is also subjecting itself to the assessment of independent institutes such as the Swiss bluesign Technologies AG as part of the ESG criteria that have been legally binding for a few years now.
Last year, the Oerlikon Neumag EvoSteam staple fiber plant was awarded the bluesign Verified Data label. The label includes the verification of impact data such as water, spinning preparations, thermal and electrical energy as well as the CO2 footprint by means of a plausibility check of the supporting records for the EvoSteam draw frame, the central element in the EvoSteam process. For yarn manufacturers, this means that all polyester staple fibers produced with the EvoSteam process will actively contribute to the bluesign System in the future.
"The trend towards greater sustainability is no longer just a trend, but a must for the industry and all market participants worldwide. With a view to the European Green Deal, we are creating even more transparency for our customers through external certifications such as bluesign in addition to our own e-save label. In this way, we are intensively strengthening trust in all our products and services," explains Georg Stausberg, who in addition to his role as Division CEO is also Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of the Swiss Oerlikon Group.
