Monforts experts will be on hand at the forthcoming Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt from April 21-24, to discuss the virtually endless possibilities these advanced coating and drying technologies open up for adding functionality and performance to textile substrates.

Applications

In outdoor and architectural textiles, for example, typical coated products include tents, awnings, sailcloth and blackout blinds, with coating providing the desired combinations of water resistance, dimensional stability, opacity or weather durability. 

A second major field is in transport interiors, particularly automotive upholstery and interior fabrics, with coatings having a positive influence on parameters including abrasion resistance, tactile feel, stain behaviour and long-term durability. Automotive suppliers also demand absolute reproducibility across batches, which Monforts addresses through digitally-stored coating recipes that can be reloaded for identical results every time.

Beyond consumer-visible products, a large share of applications are in industrial applications, with Monforts coating ranges processing materials such as high-temperature filter media, flame-retardant barrier fabrics and heavy membranes for biogas storage systems. The technology is also used for carbon fibre prepregs and composite reinforcement fabrics, where coating precision is the key to mechanical performance. 

MontexCoat

The Monforts flagship MontexCoat coater serves a very diverse number of markets and enables full PVC coatings, pigment dyeing or minimal application surface and low penetration treatments as well as solvent coatings. Knife coating, roller coating or screen printing can also all be accommodated with this system

In addition, the MontexCoat provides the ultimate in flexibility and the ability to switch quickly from one fabric run to the next, without compromising on the economical use of energy or raw materials.

coaTTex

The coaTTex coating unit is meanwhile exclusively dedicated to air knife and knife-over-roller coating for single-sided application with paste or foam to add properties such as waterproofing, liquid and gas protection and breathability.

Both coating units are suitable for incorporation into existing finishing ranges as well as installation with new Monforts lines, notably the industry-leading MONTEX stenter systems.

VertiDry

A further recently-introduced technology complementing these coating units is the VertiDry, a fully contactless and energy optimised convection dryer.

The VertiDry is intended for use in combination with a stenter, either before or after it, depending on the specific application, for the essential pre-drying of sensitive fabrics, as well as after the coating of airbags, denim fabrics and glass-fibre substrates. Other envisaged applications include the finishing of sportswear, outerwear, carpets, geotextiles and tarpaulins.

Industry standards

For over 40 years, Monforts machines have been manufactured at Montex Maschinenfabrik based in St. Stefan, Austria, and while there is standardisation across series-produced machines, the company is increasingly being called upon to construct bespoke machines with unique designs, according to the special needs of customers in the technical textiles sector.

“MONTEX stenters and THERMEX dyeing systems are the industry standards for the dyeing and finishing of technical textiles, providing a number of advantages in terms of production throughput and especially in energy efficiency and savings,” says Monforts Marketing Manager Nicole Croonenbroek. “These machines remain unmatched in terms of their robustness and long service life, as well as resource-efficient productivity. As a third strand of our business, our coating technologies are now being rapidly adopted by technical textile manufacturers, as the industry recognises their benefits. We look forward to discussing all possibilties for both established and new applications with interested parties in Frankfurt.”