Picanol, one of the leading weaving machine manufacturers, will be presenting its latest high-tech weaving machines and services at ITMA 2023. The eye-catcher at its booth B201 in Hall 6, will be the world premiere of an all-new and revolutionary rapier weaving machine, the Ultimax, that will become available in the first quarter of 2024. In total, Picanol will have 12 machines on display at ITMA 2023. In addition to 6 rapier weaving machines, the company will also present 4 airjet weaving machines featuring new developments. Furthermore, a rapier machine in Jacquard execution will be on display at the Bonas booth and an airjet machine in Jacquard execution will be presented at the Stäubli booth.
Picanol Weaving Machines Vice President Johan Verstraete said that Picanol has sold more than 130,000 rapier machines worldwide since the launch of their first rapier weaving machine, noting that they have challenged themselves to further improve their current and highly successful OptiMax-i Connect rapier platform. Verstraete continued: “The result is the brand-new Ultimax rapier weaving machine that focuses on three main benefits: ultimate performance and high-quality output, readiness for the sustainability requirements of tomorrow, and the greatest ease of use thanks to a maximum level of digitization. In addition, the classic Picanol exterior design of the machine has been radically disrupted, to make it clear from the outside how revolutionary Ultimax is on the inside.”
The result of 85 years of experience: Picanol Ultimax
Johan Verstraete disclosed that creating a worthy successor to the OptiMax rapier generation, of which over 60,000 units are running worldwide, was a real challenge, saying: “But combining 85 years of experience with new ideas and technologies has resulted in the all-new and revolutionary Ultimax rapier machine. It excels in the fields of performance and quality, it is designed with sustainability as the baseline, and the high degree of digitization results in a previously unseen ease of use.”
ITMA 2023 will also be the moment that Picanol launches a speed increase on its airjet platform, the OmniPlus-i Connect. In addition, on display for the very first time will be a brand-new leno system, the o-Leno, which combines smart performance, user-friendliness, and intuitive control at its best. At the exhibition, visitors will also be able to discover all the benefits and latest features of PicConnect to leverage the full extent of the possibilities offered by its Picanol weaving machines.