In the ITM 2026 exhibition, which shapes the transformation of the global textile industry, Malkan Machinery took its place — but not merely as an exhibitor. Malkan Machinery was on the ITM 2026 exhibition stage as a strong engineering brand shaping the sector's future in textile finishing technologies, industrial ironing systems, garment production automation and AI-supported press technologies.

The engineering culture built since 1971 today adds value to production lines in 95 countries.

Thanks to more than half a century of manufacturing experience, hands-on field expertise and a constantly evolving R&D infrastructure, the Malkan Machinery name is now associated with trust, sustainability, production efficiency and high performance.

The ITM 2026 exhibition was seen as one of the most important venues for bringing this vision together with the global textile industry, because the sector no longer competes on production capacity alone.

In today's world, competitiveness is shaped by far more complex parameters: production speed, energy efficiency, automation level, digital integration, sustainability, data management, quality standardization and operational flexibility.

The shifting global production balances of the post-pandemic era, nearshoring strategies, faster collection cycles and rising energy costs have pushed textile manufacturers toward smarter, faster and more controlled production models. The ITM 2026 exhibition stood at exactly the center of this transformation.

So why did the ITM 2026 exhibition matter so much? What technologies await the textile sector? How are AI-supported production systems transforming the production line?

What strength does the Malkan–Indupress strategic partnership bring to the industry? Let's take a closer look together at the textile technologies of the future.

1. What is the ITM 2026 exhibition (International Textile Machinery Exhibition)?

The first steps toward the technologies of the future, at the ITM 2026 exhibition.

The ITM 2026 exhibition is a global technology and trade platform bringing every stage of production — from yarn to weaving, knitting to dyeing and finishing, digital printing to garment technology — together under one roof.

Held from June 9–13, 2026 at the Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center, the ITM 2026 exhibition was expected to welcome tens of thousands of professional visitors from around the world.

Investors from different regions of the world were intended to have the chance to examine next-generation production technologies live and in person.

One of the greatest advantages of ITM exhibitions is that machines are not simply put on display. Systems are actively run and shown to visitors within real production scenarios, letting investors directly assess the performance, energy consumption, production capacity, operating speed, effect on fabric and long-term efficiency of the systems they plan to purchase.

When examining machines at exhibitions such as the ITM 2026 exhibition, investors should look at clear criteria: energy and steam consumption per unit of production, capacity and cycle time, operator training requirements, and spare parts and service support. These criteria offer a more reliable basis for comparison than a single demonstration.

Machines running live are therefore an important reference in purchasing decisions.

The transformation that has taken place in global textile production in recent years has made technology investment more important than ever. Manufacturers worldwide are now investing heavily to achieve lower energy consumption, less dependence on operators, higher quality standards, faster production, lower waste rates and a more sustainable production base.

The ITM 2026 exhibition was intended to be a center not only where this transformation is displayed, but where it is actively shaped.

Given Turkey's strong textile infrastructure, its strategic logistics advantage and Istanbul's position as a global transport hub, it was anticipated that the ITM 2026 exhibition would be a critical trade and technology platform not just regionally, but on a global scale.

In this context, the impact of Smart Manufacturing on the textile sector was among the topics expected to be visible throughout the ITM 2026 exhibition.

2. MALKAN VISION 2025–2026: THE FORCE THAT TURNS TECHNOLOGY INTO PRODUCTION

The textile sector no longer simply buys machines. Manufacturers today are buying solutions, speed, sustainability, automation, data management, low cost and uninterrupted production. Malkan Machinery is positioned right at the center of this shift.

Under the “Malkan Vision 2025–2026” strategy, the core goal is to raise quality standards and reduce defect rates in textile and garment production. One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face worldwide today is maintaining quality standards while simultaneously delivering speed, energy savings and low operating costs.

As fast-fashion production becomes more widespread, the pressure on production lines keeps increasing: collection timelines are shrinking, delivery deadlines are tightening, and quality expectations keep rising. This is exactly where engineering quality becomes decisive, and Malkan Machinery engineering is being developed precisely to answer these needs.

The new-generation systems prepared for the ITM 2026 exhibition stood out with AI-supported fabric analysis technology, smart press automation, Smart Manufacturing–ready production infrastructure, energy optimization systems, remote-access control panels, autonomous production solutions, data-driven performance analysis systems and smart maintenance technologies. For more detail, visit our Malkan Vision 2025-2026 page.

Malkan Machinery's approach, however, is not limited to building machines. Malkan Machinery acts as a strong engineering partner that analyzes a customer's production line at a micro level, identifies bottlenecks and develops tailored solutions to boost operational efficiency.

This is how solutions specific to each factory's production structure are developed, always aiming for maximum production efficiency. In modern textile manufacturing, standard solutions are no longer enough — every factory's production dynamics differ, every brand's quality expectations differ, and every production line's operational needs differ.

Malkan Machinery engineering is shaped precisely around analyzing these differences. Visitors who stopped by the Malkan Machinery stand throughout the ITM 2026 exhibition were intended to have the opportunity to evaluate solutions tailored to their own production processes directly with the expert engineering team.

3. THE MALKAN–INDUPRESS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: TWO ENGINEERING CULTURES COME TOGETHER

Two distinct engineering traditions meet through the Malkan–Indupress partnership.

One of the most significant developments raising the quality bar in textile press technology has undoubtedly been the Malkan–Indupress strategic partnership. Bringing together Indupress's German engineering discipline with Malkan Machinery's more than half a century of field experience has created a strong synergy in garment press technology.

The goals of this collaboration include raising pressing precision, optimizing energy efficiency, shortening operating times and strengthening production standardization. Reducing fabric-deformation risk, boosting operator efficiency and delivering a longer service life are part of the same goals.

Today, one of the most critical concerns for fashion brands worldwide is ensuring every product is manufactured to the same quality standard. In high-volume factories especially, even small quality variations can cause serious operational costs. The Malkan–Indupress collaboration aims to address exactly this problem.

The new-generation Indupress technologies planned for the ITM 2026 exhibition aimed to deliver high shape quality across menswear, womenswear, suits, trousers, jackets and outerwear production. With precise mold form, uniform press distribution, operator-assisted smart control systems and a high level of durability, these systems were among the highlighted technologies.

This strategic partnership is also an important milestone that further elevates Malkan Machinery's engineering strength in the international market. Our Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 vision was itself an important event where the foundations of this partnership were laid.

4. AI-SUPPORTED IRONING TECHNOLOGIES: THE CENTER OF NEXT-GENERATION PRODUCTION

One of the most critical stages determining production quality in the textile sector is ironing and shape-finishing, because a product's final appearance before it reaches the store shelf directly affects a brand's perceived quality.

Quality standards that used to depend heavily on operator experience in traditional systems are now being taken to a different level thanks to AI-supported technology.

The new-generation AI-supported ironing and press systems developed by Malkan Machinery can analyze fabric and automatically determine the correct treatment. These systems assess fabric thickness, moisture level, weave structure, heat tolerance, pressure needs and steam density in real time.

The system then automatically optimizes the temperature, steam volume and press pressure to be applied. This technology minimizes operator-related errors, reduces fabric scorching and the risk of shine, strengthens product standardization, shortens production times, optimizes energy consumption and lowers waste rates.

For high-volume global brands especially, quality standardization is no longer optional — it is now a requirement. Today, the world's largest manufacturers are investing in smart automation systems specifically to minimize the quality variation caused by the human factor, and Malkan Machinery's AI-supported systems are at the center of this shift.

You can learn more about the AI-supported ironing technologies we introduced at Exintex 2026.

Ironing and pressing quality rests on four basic parameters: temperature, moisture, pressure and time. Fibers such as wool take shape with high moisture and pressure, while synthetic fibers carry a risk of shine and melting even at low temperatures. Recipe-based pressing therefore allows verified settings for each fabric and style to be applied repeatably.

Vacuum cooling after pressing is a critical step that sets the fabric's new form. Rapid moisture extraction helps reduce iron marks and wrinkles that form afterwards. Smart systems can manage these steps as part of the recipe.

At the ITM 2026 exhibition, visitors were intended to experience live how AI-supported systems perform across different fabric types. This technology doesn't just represent today's production model — it represents the future.

5. A DEFECT-PREVENTION APPROACH TO PRODUCTION, THROUGH THE LENS OF TEXPROCESS FRANKFURT 2026

High-capacity, state-of-the-art steam boiler.

Texprocess Frankfurt, one of the most important events in the global textile industry, is regarded as one of the centers shaping the future of production technology. Malkan Machinery feeds the field data gathered from international exhibitions directly into its R&D processes.

The defect-prevention approach in particular sits at the foundation of every system developed today, because even a seemingly small defect in textile production can lead to return costs, brand reputation damage, repeated production runs, lost time, wasted energy and operational inefficiency.

This is why Malkan Machinery engineering focuses not only on production speed, but on sustainable quality standards. You can read our detailed article on the Texprocess Frankfurt 2026 exhibition.

The systems prepared for the ITM 2026 exhibition highlighted PLC-controlled smart management screens, precise temperature control, automatic pressure optimization, remote fault detection, data-driven production analysis, smart maintenance infrastructure and digital performance reporting systems.

Thanks to these systems, factories can produce not only faster, but also with greater control, stability and sustainability.

Defect prevention is managed not only by a check at the end of production but by parameters measured throughout the process. Recording temperature, pressure and time values allows deviations to be noticed early.

In today's competitive environment, it has become very difficult for manufacturers who cannot build a sustainable quality standard to remain strong in the long run — and every system Malkan Machinery develops is designed precisely to answer this shift.

6. THERMOSTEAM TECHNOLOGY: A NEW-GENERATION APPROACH TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy costs are one of the most significant items in total operating expenses for textile production, and steam systems in particular account for substantial energy consumption at garment manufacturing facilities. As energy costs rise globally, manufacturers are being pushed toward technologies that don't just run fast, but consume less energy.

Malkan Machinery develops solutions not only for ironing systems themselves, but also for optimizing the energy infrastructure behind them, and the ThermoSteam brand is the product of this vision.

ThermoSteam systems — including steam generators, central boiler solutions, energy-recovery technology, smart steam management systems, heat-optimization infrastructure and fuel-efficiency solutions — are designed to deliver maximum efficiency at production facilities. Compared with conventional systems, this architecture achieves lower energy consumption while also delivering more stable steam output, creating a significant cost advantage, especially at high-capacity factories.

A significant share of energy losses in a steam system occurs in the pipelines and on the condensate side. Uninsulated lines increase heat loss, and condensate that does not return to the system wastes both water and heat. Condensate recovery and correct pressure settings help use less energy for the same steam output.

Boiler efficiency depends on heating quality, feedwater properties and regular maintenance. Scale forms an insulating layer on heating surfaces and lowers efficiency. Monitoring water quality is therefore an integral part of energy-efficiency work.

For global brands pursuing sustainable production goals today, energy efficiency is no longer just an economic consideration — it is a strategic necessity. At the ITM 2026 exhibition, visitors were intended to review real-time energy performance analytics from ThermoSteam systems.

The integrated solutions developed by Malkan Machinery make production processes more efficient, more controlled and more sustainable. Here, the industrial application of thermodynamics principles forms the scientific foundation of the energy-efficiency goals.

7. 2026 TRENDS IN GARMENT PRODUCTION AUTOMATION, AND CONCLUSION

The shifting global production balances of the post-pandemic era have pushed the textile sector toward far more flexible and faster production models. Simply producing is no longer enough — manufacturers must produce faster, at lower cost, and with a minimum of errors.

By 2026, garment production automation has become one of the sector's fundamental building blocks. The systems developed by Malkan Machinery aim to reduce cycle times, lower dependence on operators, ensure production standardization, minimize error rates, increase production capacity, optimize workforce efficiency and simplify production planning.

Tandem working systems in particular allow multiple operations to be managed simultaneously, significantly boosting production efficiency. From jacket front-panel presses to trouser leg-opening systems, from shirt-ironing robots to knitwear solutions, the broad product range responds directly to the needs of modern production facilities.

In a tandem arrangement, one operator alternates between two stations; while one is pressing, the other is prepared. This arrangement helps improve line balance by reducing machine idle time.

For high-volume manufacturers, time management has become one of the most important parts of competitive advantage. Malkan Machinery automation systems aim to make production processes faster, more controlled and more sustainable — and at the ITM 2026 exhibition, visitors were intended to examine the live performance of these systems on-site.

In conclusion, the textile and garment industry is going through a major, irreversible transformation. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, automation and energy efficiency have become fundamental dynamics of the sector, and making the right technology investments at the right time is critical to staying competitive through this shift.

Malkan Machinery builds the production technology of the future today — through more than half a century of engineering experience, the Indupress strategic partnership, ThermoSteam energy solutions, AI-supported systems, Smart Manufacturing–ready infrastructure, a strong service network and a continuously evolving R&D culture.

The ITM 2026 exhibition, held at the Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center from June 9–13, 2026, was planned as one of the important stops where this vision met the sector.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When and where was the ITM 2026 exhibition held? The ITM 2026 exhibition was held from June 9–13, 2026 at the Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center. It covered the stages of the production chain from yarn to weaving, knitting to dyeing and finishing, and garment technologies.

Which technologies did Malkan Machinery plan to highlight at the ITM 2026 exhibition? The plan highlighted AI-supported ironing and press systems, Indupress technologies, PLC-controlled smart management screens and ThermoSteam energy solutions. Sharing the live performance of these systems with visitors had been targeted.

What does the Malkan–Indupress strategic partnership, a focus of the ITM 2026 exhibition, aim for in garment press technology? The partnership aims to raise pressing precision, optimize energy efficiency, shorten operating times and strengthen production standardization. It combines German engineering discipline with Malkan Machinery's field experience.

How do ThermoSteam systems, planned for the ITM 2026 exhibition, aim to contribute to energy efficiency? Steam generators, central boiler solutions and smart steam management aim to deliver lower energy consumption and more stable steam output. This architecture offers a cost advantage, especially at high-capacity factories.

Why is a defect-prevention approach important for Malkan Machinery? In textile production, even a small defect can cause return costs, brand reputation loss, repeated production runs and wasted energy. Malkan Machinery engineering therefore focuses not only on speed but also on a sustainable quality standard.