Barmag has launched three retrofit automation systems for manmade fibre spinning plants, targeting maintenance tasks that still consume manual labour even at operations where the main production process is already highly automated.

The systems automate spinneret cleaning and knife sharpening, and add motor-assisted handling for heavy, hot spinpacks. All three bolt onto existing production equipment without major modifications — a positioning decision that matters for plant operators weighing capex against a full line replacement.

Measured performance gains

Barmag reports concrete results from its automatic knife sharpening technology: full-bobbin rate increases of up to 12%, take-up efficiency gains of up to 28% and spinneret service life extended by up to 51%. Cleaning cycles fell by as much as 53%.

The machine sharpens the knives used in spinneret cleaning automatically, replacing a manual grinding process in which variations degrade subsequent cleaning quality. Standardising the operation aims to cut those variations while extending component life.

A second system, a wiping robot, carries out spinneret cleaning automatically in both filament and staple fibre spinning. Its rotating scraper blades resharpen themselves when the robot returns to its parking station, maintaining consistent cleaning performance without operator involvement. Barmag says the system also reduces silicone oil consumption and cuts operator exposure to oil-containing aerosols around the spinning line — a compliance point for plants managing workplace air quality.

Spinpack handling

The third system addresses a different ergonomic problem: removing and installing heavy spinpacks while still hot. The mobile electric spinpack changer provides motor-assisted handling for both steps, reducing physical strain on operators. It also installs the spinpack at a defined torque, making the operation reproducible, cutting safety risks and reducing downtime.

The retrofit capability is central to the commercial pitch. Rather than requiring investment in new spinning lines, the systems let manufacturers introduce automation selectively into established plants — opening a productivity lever at sites where digital control of the main manufacturing process is mature but supporting maintenance operations remain labour-intensive.

Stefan Heesen, senior manager of customer services at Barmag, said there is further scope for optimisation, with automation offering opportunities to improve productivity, safety and operating costs simultaneously.

Post-Rieter portfolio moves

The developments rank among the first additions to Barmag's portfolio since the business joined Switzerland's Rieter Group in 2026. The business, which also includes the Neumag product range, employs around 2,500 people and runs R&D centres in Remscheid and Neumünster in Germany and Suzhou, China.

For spinning plant operators, the question now is payback: whether the reported gains in bobbin rates, spinneret life and cleaning-cycle frequency justify retrofit spending across existing lines before the next maintenance upgrade cycle.