Chemnitz, 9th September 2014 – with the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of its new Technology Centre, textile machine and equipment manufacturer Oerlikon Barmag is demonstrating the commitment it has to its home town of Chemnitz. The intention is to start developing and testing mainly extrusion lines for tapes and monofilaments, but also wind-ing/texturing and twisting machines, as well as carbon fiber winding heads on the 1600 m² site from July 2015. The new building with a seven-digit total investment volume is the conclusion of a series of investments which in recent years have turned the site into a state-of-the-art, future-oriented part of Oerlikon Manmade Fibers.
Chemnitz textile machine and equipment manufacturer continues to grow
This new powerhouse of ideas will continue to carry out customer experiments in the areas of tape and monofilament production and further processing. The modern Technology Centre, including a laboratory and training centre, will thus offer the best conditions to the international customer base of the market leader for extrusion lines.
All signs point to growth
"All signs point to growth as the new Technology Centre will help us to further optimise our processes and focus even more closely on our customers," says Managing Director Steffen Husfeldt of the investment plans. "Tape and monofilament yarns are extremely versatile. Their applications range from secondary carpet backing to artificial turf, geotextiles and applications in the agricultural sector. Extrusion technology offers enormous potential in this respect. It will also be possible to expand our production and assembly capacity." Winding head assembly and component production will increase as a result of the floor space released by the previous Technology Centre. This will significantly raise the capacity of the Oerlikon Barmag plant in Chemnitz, particularly in terms of the assembly of carbon fiber and tape yarn winding heads and extrusion lines.
Location with tradition
Chemnitz is the oldest site of Oerlikon's current Manmade Fibers segment. Founded in 1866 as Carl Hamel AG, the company has been located at its current Schönau site since 1896. After the war, the factory became VEB Textima Spinn- und Zwirnereimaschinenbau, and in 1991, Remscheider Barmag AG took control of the company with a proud history rich in tradition. The company now known as Oerlikon Barmag has been part of the Swiss technology group Oerlikon since 2007.
In almost 150 years of company history, several breakthrough product developments have attested to the innovative spirit of the textile machinery manufacturer. Today, the company employs 160 full-time employees at the Chemnitz site, of which 36 work in the Research & Development department alone. With its innovative and technologically sophisticated products and its strong market position, the long-established Chemnitz-based company is an attractive employer in the region.
