Strong interest in smart manufacturing, sustainability, and quality control at the Karachi trade fair
IGATEX 2025: Mahlo Takes Stock
Experts and decision-makers from the textile industry met from April 24 to 26 at Igatex in Karachi. The trade fair regularly attracts numerous industry visitors – around 11,000 attended this year – and is therefore a fixed date in Mahlo's trade show calendar. The German machine manufacturer presented its portfolio of measurement and control solutions for the textile production of the future.
Traditionally, Mahlo was represented at the joint booth of its Pakistani sales partner Al-Ameen. “We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the team at Al-Ameen for once again organizing everything perfectly,” said Clemens Kaplan, Mahlo’s product manager for textiles. Together, the experts addressed visitors' questions and concerns at the booth.
Smart, Sustainable, and Quality-Focused
“One of the topics currently occupying our customers is Smart Manufacturing,” Kaplan said. Many clients were interested in how to increase efficiency and productivity using automated and intelligent manufacturing systems. There also remains strong demand for sustainable technologies and processes that can reduce the ecological footprint of textile production. Always a key focus: quality control systems to ensure consistent product quality.
Solutions That Deliver Results
In all these areas, the systems presented by Mahlo help customers achieve their ambitious goals. The flagship of Mahlo’s straightening systems, the Orthopac RVMC, and its reinforced version, the Orthopac GRVMC, have been reliably correcting fabric distortions for years. For nearly two years now, the product range has been expanded by the Orthopac RXVMC – a high-end weft straightener with two scanning systems and independently controllable correction units for high distortion dynamics. Also designed for processing textiles with strongly varying distortions is the Orthopac RVMC-20 plus. Modular systems for process control impress with easy and ergonomic operation as well as a wide range of modules, sensors, and automation functions. An equally large portfolio of sensors and application possibilities is offered by the quality measurement system Qualiscan QMS, which determines important parameters such as thickness, basis weight, or moisture content.
This year, participants from more than 30 countries took advantage of the opportunity to exchange ideas. “The majority of our visitors naturally came from Pakistan,” said Kaplan. “But we also welcomed customers from China, Germany, Italy, Turkey, India, Central Asia, and many other countries, who were all interested in Mahlo products.”
Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities
“The textile industry remains a major economic factor in Pakistan,” Kaplan noted. However, the sector also faces challenges. “To remain internationally competitive, many manufacturers aim to modernize their infrastructure and machinery while also introducing more sustainable practices.” But this requires significant investment in a time of global uncertainty. “Despite these challenges, we believe the Pakistani market offers significant growth potential, particularly through the adoption of new technologies and the strengthening of international partnerships.”