Global garment and ready-to-wear machinery manufacturing is going through a transformation in which operational efficiency is being redefined. In a period when production costs are rising, the supply of qualified operators is shrinking and sustainability expectations are growing, businesses are turning to more automated solutions. Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 made this shift visible.

Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 opened its doors after a three-year break and became an important technology platform where this transformation was discussed. For the fair’s promotion and organization details, the Garment Tech Istanbul official website can be consulted.

Held at the Istanbul Expo Center (IFM) between June 25 and 28, 2025, the event hosted 14,627 professional sector representatives from 82 countries. Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 was a meeting point where investment plans were discussed.

Malkan Machinery took part in Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 with industrial ironing solutions, its new Thermo Steam steam boiler and steam generators. The company also came to the fair with updated software programs for product tracking and new recipe production.

This report summarizes the goals and views that Caner Vural, Chairman of the Board of Malkan Machinery, shared in an E-Textile Magazine interview. The Thermo Steam boiler, automation, remote data monitoring and export goals are covered.

1. GARMENT TECH ISTANBUL 2025 AFTER A THREE-YEAR BREAK: PRODUCTS AND EXPECTATIONS

Visitors at the Malkan Machinery stand at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

The garment machinery industry is a dynamic engineering field that must adapt quickly to consumption trends, fabric variety and lead time pressure. Holding Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 after a three-year break created an expectation of new products on the manufacturers’ side.

Caner Vural said that such a comprehensive fair had not been held in the sector for three years and that Malkan therefore came with “serious products”. Vural noted that, besides industrial ironing solutions, a new steam boiler and steam generators were exhibited.

What the solutions on display at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 have in common is that they aim to make time and energy consumption per product measurable. Updating recipe programs allows temperature, pressure and time values for different products to be kept on record.

At garment machinery fairs, visitors can watch machines run and assess cycle time, steam and energy consumption and operator workload on site. Large events such as Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 are therefore an important reference point for investment decisions.

Ironing and shaping is a stage where heat, moisture, pressure and time are applied to the fabric together. When one of these parameters is wrong, defects such as shine, stains or dimensional deviation can appear.

An investor preparing for a fair should first identify the bottleneck of the current line. Machine choices made without measuring cycle time, line balance and workload per operator may not deliver the expected efficiency, even at a fair like Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

Questions asked during a Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 visit matter too: which fabric groups the machine works with, how many recipes it holds, how they are changed, what steam and compressed air it needs, and how quickly service and spare parts are available. If this information is obtained in writing, comparing offers after the fair becomes easier.

In garment lines, ironing is generally considered in two stages: intermediate pressing that prepares the shape of pieces during sewing, and final pressing where the product is completed. In both stages, pressure, steam and time values are set according to the fabric and seam structure.

2. THERMO STEAM BOILER: DRY STEAM AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

In garment production lines, energy and water consumption are significant items of the operating budget. The quality and efficiency of the steam used in shaping and ironing directly affect a business’s costs.

At Garment Tech Istanbul 2025, one of Malkan Machinery’s standout products was the Thermo Steam steam boiler. Vural said it was a product the company was somewhat late in adding but had now decided should be in its portfolio.

According to Vural, various steam generators were developed together with this product and energy efficiency was raised to a high level. The aim is to offer garment manufacturers dry steam with high efficiency.

In classic steam systems, water particles carried along the line (wet steam) can cause stains and deformation on the fabric surface. Dry steam carries less moisture, so it helps the product stay drier after shaping and move to the packing stage faster.

To keep steam quality high, line insulation, condensate traps and boiler maintenance also matter. If these are neglected, even the most efficient boiler can produce wet steam and cause energy loss.

When choosing a steam boiler, capacity (kg/hour), operating pressure, fuel type and the control system are evaluated together. A boiler chosen above real demand runs inefficiently at low load, while one chosen too small causes pressure drops on the line.

Scaling is one of the most common problems that lower efficiency in steam boilers. Softening the feed water and regular blowdown help keep heat transfer surfaces clean and extend boiler life.

On ironing and press machines, steam pressure is set according to the fabric. Excessively high pressure can cause shine on the surface and low pressure can give insufficient shaping, so boiler and machine settings must be considered together.

Condensate return reuses the condensed part of used steam as boiler feed water. This saves both fuel and water, but the insulation of the return line and the choice of traps must be correct.

Vural stressed that Thermo Steam can be used not only in textiles but also in areas such as the food sector. He said they believe such versatile products add value for companies.

Efficiency in steam generators depends on factors such as combustion efficiency, insulation, condensate return and load management. Efficiency values should therefore be evaluated together with a business’s own steam consumption profile. Basic heat and energy principles are explained on the Wikipedia Thermodynamics page.

The choice between a steam boiler and a steam generator depends on the consumption profile of the line. Large-volume boilers come forward for continuous, high steam demand, while fast-start generators can be preferred for fluctuating consumption.

At a time when energy costs and carbon footprint are on the agenda, efficiency improvements in steam systems affect both cost and emissions. The prominence of steam boilers at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 is also related to this need.

3. AUTOMATION AND RECIPE-BASED PRESS SYSTEMS

A view from the Malkan Machinery stand.

The textile sector has historically been labor intensive; rising labor costs and a shortage of qualified technical staff make automation an important necessity. Caner Vural also referred to the company’s automation work at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

Vural said that today the staff choose the fabric type, such as wool or polyester, that comes to the machines. In this approach, recipe programs set parameters such as pressure and temperature according to the chosen fabric. The interview video below, in which Vural talks about these topics, is in Turkish.

Industrial ironing press technologies and garment production automation solutions are parts of this approach, which aims to reduce operator-related variability.

The main cause of operator-related defects such as fabric shine, scorching and loss of shape is that temperature, pressure and time are not set suitably for the fabric. Saving parameters as PLC recipes reduces these errors and gives repeatable results across different shifts.

In recipe-based systems, the temperature, steam, pressure and vacuum times predefined for each fabric group are kept in a single record. Creating a recipe for a new product and returning to the values of earlier productions becomes easier.

The recipe programs updated for Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 serve this purpose. Product tracking and new recipe production save the business time in terms of both quality continuity and operator training.

A PLC (programmable logic controller) manages the steps of the machine, such as temperature, pressure, vacuum and time, in sequence. Touch interfaces (HMI) make it easier for the operator to select these recipes and for authorized staff to edit them when needed.

Protecting recipes by authority level prevents parameters from being changed by mistake. Setting deviations caused by operator errors fall and product quality stays balanced between shifts.

Operator training should also be planned when investing in automation. Staff who use the machine need to know recipe selection, basic fault messages and daily maintenance steps, and this decides whether the expected efficiency is obtained.

Vacuum systems help remove moisture from the fabric after ironing and let it cool while keeping its shape. If the vacuum time is insufficient, the fabric stays damp and wrinkles can form again on the surface.

Time lost at model changes is reduced by shortening setup times. This approach is known as SMED (single-minute exchange of die); recipe-based systems shorten this time by recalling saved values instead of making the settings again by hand.

In terms of line balance, if the ironing stage falls behind sewing speed, products pile up as intermediate stock. Keeping cycle time below takt time is the basic condition for the line to flow without interruption.

4. DIGITALIZATION AND REMOTE DATA MONITORING

In today’s industry, mechanical robustness alone is not a sufficient competitive element; being able to monitor the data a machine collects in the field has also gained importance. Malkan Machinery also referred to its work in this direction at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

At Garment Tech Istanbul 2025, Caner Vural stressed that being able to reach past production data gives businesses a major advantage. According to Vural, tracking staff and production with barcode reading systems can now also be done from mobile devices.

Vural said that a company owner, even in a different country, can access the data of a machine in Türkiye instantly. He reported that information such as steam, vacuum and energy consumption, fault status, working personnel and daily production quantity can be followed remotely.

Collecting production data allows indicators such as cycle time, energy consumption, causes of stoppage and production quantity to be monitored regularly. These indicators help bottlenecks be noticed early and costs be controlled.

For data to be useful, measurements must be defined accurately, consistently and in a way everyone understands. For example, classifying the causes of stoppage makes it possible to compare the performance of the same machine in different shifts.

Staff-based production tracking is useful in workforce planning, but protecting employee data and authorization rules must be managed carefully. For this reason, remote monitoring systems should define from the start who can access which data.

Data security is a separate subject in remote monitoring systems. Measures such as authentication, authorization and connection security prevent production data from being seen by unauthorized people.

Barcode reading makes it easier to match a production order with a product. When it is recorded which batch was processed on which machine and with which recipe, root-cause analysis of quality problems becomes faster.

The value of production data depends on looking at it and making decisions. Businesses that review weekly stoppage, energy and cycle time reports can see areas for improvement in numbers.

Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is calculated as the product of availability, performance and quality rates. Monitoring these three components separately shows which of the losses from stoppages, slow running and scrap is dominant. The general principles of data-driven production are explained on the Wikipedia Smart Manufacturing page.

The concept of digital transformation, which covers integrating digital technology into all areas of a business, is outlined on the Wikipedia Digital Transformation page. Remote monitoring and data tracking are one application of this concept in manufacturing.

5. EXPORT GOALS AND DISTRIBUTORSHIP

Press meeting at the Malkan Machinery stand at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

Fairs on the scale of Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 are platforms where brands not only make sales but also build new distributor relationships. Caner Vural said they aim to win at least two new distributors at every fair.

According to Vural, because Garment Tech Istanbul is a large fair, a higher goal of winning four distributors was set for Garment Tech Istanbul 2025. This figure was reported as a goal.

This goal is consistent with Malkan Machinery’s export vision. The company is a manufacturer exporting to 95 countries.

Vural said there are markets where manufacturers in Türkiye cannot offer a price advantage, but that Türkiye has a distinct place when quality is discussed. He said that for Malkan the world market is a single field and that sales are made in different markets through technical actions.

For a distributor, spare parts stock, technical service capacity and training support matter as much as the machine in international sales. Distributorship talks are therefore usually handled together with technical competence and a service plan.

A strong after-sales service and logistics network is an important element of trust for international buyers. Fairs such as Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 offer a chance to reinforce this trust through face-to-face meetings.

In international sales, the machine must be compatible with the country’s electrical voltage, steam infrastructure and usage habits. If this compatibility is not clarified in advance, commissioning can take longer.

When a distributor network is strengthened, product training, joint participation in fairs such as Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 and technical documentation support matter. This support makes it easier to give end users the same quality of service.

For machine sales to Europe, documents such as the CE marking, a technical file and a declaration of conformity are expected. The buyer should request these documents at purchase and compare them with the safety equipment on the machine.

6. THE 2025 ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AND SECTOR EXPECTATIONS

Developments in industrial technology are closely related to macroeconomic conditions. Caner Vural said that the first half of 2025 was a difficult period for the sector.

At Garment Tech Istanbul 2025, Vural said that where a sale used to be made after 10 customer visits, it now takes 40 visits to win one customer. This example reflects the economic difficulty being experienced.

Vural said they are hopeful for the second half of 2025 and expect the sector to recover somewhat with the improvement in the economy and the contribution of Garment Tech Istanbul 2025. He added that the rise in the exchange rate may make Türkiye’s quality advantage more competitive.

In difficult market periods, investment decisions take longer; buyers carry out extra visits, demonstrations and quotation stages more carefully. Fairs such as Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 are therefore an important chance to meet undecided buyers face to face and answer technical questions on site.

When the investment decision is made, not only the machine price but also energy, labor, maintenance and service items should be evaluated. This holistic view helps calculate the return on investment more realistically in times of economic uncertainty.

In periods of currency and cost fluctuation, buyers compare the energy and maintenance costs of a machine as well as its initial price. Total cost of ownership therefore comes up more often at fairs such as Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

When financing conditions become harder, investments can be made in stages. Renewing the station that creates the bottleneck first and completing the line afterwards often offers a more manageable path.

In periods when energy costs stay high, steam and electricity consumption become a decisive criterion in machine selection. Businesses that measure energy consumption per cycle can compare different machines on the same basis.

7. Conclusion: Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 and Malkan Machinery’s 2026 Vision

Malkan Machinery’s participation in Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 showed the company’s agenda on energy efficiency, recipe-based automation and data monitoring. The Thermo Steam boiler and industrial ironing solutions are the product-side reflections of this agenda.

These efforts are in line with the brand’s 2026 Vision. Those who make a difference in the production of the future will be manufacturers that use energy efficiently, process production data correctly and invest in automation.

Products seen at fairs make sense when evaluated together with a business’s own line analysis. Measuring indicators such as cycle time, steam consumption and operator workload beforehand makes it easier to choose the right machine.

For the next edition of the fair, the same approach applies: the goal should be clarified, criteria set and findings from the visit evaluated in writing. In this way a fair visit becomes a systematic investment step rather than a one-off impression.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which products did Malkan Machinery exhibit at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025? According to Caner Vural, Malkan Machinery exhibited industrial ironing solutions, the new Thermo Steam steam boiler and steam generators. Programs for product tracking and new recipe production were also updated and brought to Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

With what aim was the Thermo Steam boiler developed? Vural said the aim is to offer garment manufacturers dry steam with high efficiency. It was also stated that the product can be used in areas such as the food sector.

What was the focus of Caner Vural’s statements during Garment Tech Istanbul 2025? Vural said the sector struggled in the first half of 2025 and expects some recovery in the second half with the economic improvement and the fair’s contribution. He also referred to distributor goals and remote data monitoring.

What does a recipe-based ironing system mean? Temperature, pressure, steam and vacuum times are saved in advance by fabric type. The operator selects the relevant recipe and the same product is processed with the same values in different shifts.

What does remote data monitoring offer to investors? According to Vural, information such as steam, vacuum and energy consumption, fault status and daily production quantity can be followed remotely. This lets a manager follow the machine independently of where it is located.

Why is dry steam important? Wet steam can leave water stains and cause deformation on the fabric surface. Dry steam carries less moisture, so it helps the product stay drier after shaping.

How do fairs like Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 contribute to investment decisions? Cycle time, steam and energy consumption can be observed directly while machines are running. These data base the decision on measurements on site rather than catalog information.

What should be considered when choosing a steam boiler? Capacity, operating pressure, fuel type and the control system are evaluated together. A choice that fits the real steam demand affects both efficiency and energy cost.

Why is condensate return important? Returning condensed steam to the boiler saves fuel and water. If line insulation and trap selection are not done correctly, this gain falls.

What is OEE and why is it monitored? OEE is an efficiency indicator found by multiplying availability, performance and quality rates. By showing which type of loss is dominant, it helps set improvement priorities.

What criteria are considered when choosing a distributor? Technical service capacity, spare parts stock and training support come to the fore. These matter as much as the machine in international sales.

In which year will the next Garment Tech Istanbul fair be held? The organizer’s official website shows the next edition of the fair as Garment Tech Istanbul 2027. Dates and details should be followed through the organizer’s announcements.