Asteks, the specialist manufacturer of high-quality and durable aprons, cots and advanced cot grinding technologies, showcased its latest innovations at ITM 2026, Türkiye’s leading textile machinery exhibition, held between 9-13 June. Throughout the exhibition, the company welcomed visitors from numerous markets and concluded important business meetings and order agreements for its high value-added cot grinding solutions. Having one of the busiest stands in the spinning hall, Asteks exhibited its newly developed airjet spinning aprons and cots, the 401-SF&M Cot Grinding Machine, the UV-305 Cots’ Surface Treatment Machine integrated with the 401-SF&M, and the 201-AF Cot Grinding Machine.
Commenting on the exhibition, Sabri İlknur, Marketing and Sales Manager of Asteks, said ITM 2026 had been positive overall. “ITM once again proved to be an efficient platform for meeting our long-standing customers and introducing our latest developments. Compared to the previous edition, the number of international visitors was relatively limited this year. We believe the ongoing political and military tensions in neighbouring regions played a significant role. Domestic visitor numbers were also slightly lower due to the challenges facing the textile industry. Nevertheless, we were pleased to host mainly investment-focused professionals from the Turkish market at our stand. ITM fully met our expectations by enabling us to reconnect with existing customers we rarely have the opportunity to meet in person and establish first contacts with new potential business partners,” he said.
New aprons and cots introduced for airjet spinning systems
Highlighting the company’s broad product portfolio, İlknur announced the official launch of Asteks’ newly developed top and bottom aprons as well as front and back cots designed specifically for airjet spinning systems. Emphasising the importance of aprons and cots quality for efficient yarn production, İlknur stated: “Manufactured using premium rubber compounds, our aprons and cots for airjet spinning systems fully meet the expectations of yarn manufacturers. Delivering outstanding performance across all fibre types and yarn counts, these products continue to provide the same advantages throughout their service life.”
He also noted that trial orders had been received for the sample aprons and cots developed for airjet spinning systems showcased at the exhibition.
Domestic investments focus on cot grinding machines
Sabri İlknur said that discussions with visitors mainly focused on Asteks’ cot grinding machines, with the company also receiving investment enquiries for these solutions. He added that these technologies, developed through Turkish engineering, have achieved remarkable success in the market.
“Backed by our in-house R&D team and Turkish engineering expertise, Asteks continues to develop technologies dedicated to the cot grinding technologies. What started with manual solutions has now evolved into a new generation of cot grinding machines equipped with advanced automation features. In addition to Türkiye, our solutions are also in high demand in markets such as Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
For example, our 401-SF&M Cot Grinding Machine stands out with its intelligent feeding system and two independent grinding units. Instead of manually loading cots one by one, operators simply load all cots into the machine, and the intelligent feeding system automatically aligns and feeds them into the grinding process. Combining the functionality of two different machines within a single concept, one grinding unit can process draw frame and combing cots while the other simultaneously grinds spinning machine cots. This enables significant savings in time, floor space and labour within a single machine and operation. The energy efficiency of our machines continues to improve. Compared to similar systems, they consume less energy while grinding a higher number of cots. Furthermore, our 401 Series Cot Grinding Machines can operate fully integrated with our UV-305 Cot Surface Treatment Machine.”
ITM 2026 brought fresh momentum to the industry
According to Sabri İlknur, despite lower visitor numbers, ITM 2026 concluded successfully with new sales agreements and orders for cot grinding machines, aprons and cots. “Considering the difficult period the textile industry is currently experiencing, ITM 2026 has undoubtedly provided a much-needed boost to the industry,” he said, concluding:
“In line with our export-oriented growth strategy, we are steadily progressing towards our 2026 targets. ITM 2026 particularly strengthened our position in the domestic market, while the international exhibitions we attend continue to open new channels in our target markets. It is a great source of pride and motivation for us to see our advanced cot grinding solutions reaching customers around the world with both the Asteks logo and the ‘Made in Türkiye’ label.”
Among the international exhibitions Asteks will participate in during the remainder of 2026 are CAITME 2026 (8-10 September, Tashkent, Uzbekistan), Egy Stitch & Tex 2026 (24-27 September, Cairo, Egypt), IGATEX 2026 (15-18 October, Lahore, Pakistan) and ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 (20-24 November, Shanghai, China).