The Tüyap 2012 exhibition hosted the Clothing Machinery Fair at the Tüyap Exhibition Hall in Istanbul between May 31 and June 3. Among the participants of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was Malkan Machinery, founded in 1971 as Türkiye's first domestic manufacturer of industrial ironing machines.

The company took part in the Tüyap 2012 exhibition under its official corporate title.

The Malkan Machinery stand drew attention with its eye-catching design, the stylish attire of the staff and a wide display area. What attracted visitors most, however, was that the machines were fully working instead of standing in a showcase. The stand was arranged as if an ironing department had been moved onto the fairground.

The assessment of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was made by Salim Kutuk, Head Office and Marketing Manager. Kutuk openly shared his views on the interest shown in the stand and on the visitor profile of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition.

This article takes that assessment as its basis and covers the Tüyap 2012 exhibition and the technical background of the ironing groups displayed.

1. THE MALKAN MACHINERY STAND AT THE TÜYAP 2012 EXHIBITION

A view from the Malkan Machinery fair stand.

A fair stand is the first message a company gives to visitors. Malkan Machinery designed a large and carefully prepared stand for the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, and the stylish attire of the staff, in line with corporate identity, completed this integrity.

According to Kutuk, the design, the product variety and the fully working machines drew intense interest to the stand.

According to Kutuk's observation, other domestic and foreign participants mostly displayed certain ironing groups. Malkan Machinery, in contrast, presented products addressing the whole industry together, equipped with current systems and technologies. Being able to see examples of all ironing groups at the same stand made comparison easier for visitors.

This arrangement gave added convenience to visitors producing in different product groups. For example, a company making both shirts and trousers could evaluate two different ironing lines in a single meeting. Buying several groups from the same supplier also brings simplicity in spare parts and service.

The size of the stand was necessary not only for lining up the machines but also for watching them safely while they ran. Around a working ironing press, room must be left for the operator area, steam discharge and visitor distance.

The layout of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition stand was planned with these needs in mind, so visitors could watch the machines safely and closely even at busy hours.

2. THE NINE IRONING GROUPS DISPLAYED AT THE TÜYAP 2012 EXHIBITION

According to Salim Kutuk, Malkan Machinery displayed nine ironing groups in working condition at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition. Each group answers the ironing need of a different product or process. Below, the function of these groups in the garment and service sectors is briefly summarized.

• The jacket ironing group covers the stations from seam opening to the shoulder, collar and front body presses. How a jacket stands on the hanger depends on the harmony of these stations.
• The trouser ironing group consists of the waist-hip area, hem and crease presses. A crease that sits on a single line from hem to waist is the basic quality criterion.
• The jeans ironing group is set up for thick, stiff-textured denim fabrics that need higher pressure and steam. The waist, hem and pocket areas are handled separately.
• The shirt ironing group includes collar and cuff presses and the blowing systems that shape the body. The symmetry of the collar tip is the first detail looked at on a shirt.
• Transfer printing presses transfer a pattern or label to fabric with heat and pressure. The balance of temperature, time and pressure determines how permanent the print is.
• Fusing presses bond the interlining to the fabric with a thermoplastic adhesive. Insufficient settings come back after washing as bubbles and separation.
• Bagging equipment prepares the ironed product for packaging while keeping its form. The effort of ironing reaches the customer through correct folding and packaging.
• The dry cleaning ironing group covers the presses that give form to garments after cleaning, and the stain-removal tables. In this group, being able to process different fabrics at a single station is important.
• The laundry ironing group is aimed at the high-volume work of hotels, hospitals and industrial laundries. Continuity and energy efficiency come to the fore here.

That these nine groups worked at the same stand showed visitors the product range of Malkan Machinery at a glance. At the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, dry cleaning and laundry operators visited the stand as much as garment manufacturers did. The wide range created a common meeting point for buyers from different sectors.

3. HEAT, PRESSURE AND TIME IN FUSING AND TRANSFER PRINTING

A shot of the Malkan Machinery stand on the fairground.

Among the groups displayed at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, fusing and transfer printing presses represented two invisible but critical processes of garment making. In both processes, the result depends on the right balance of heat, pressure and time. When one of these three values is missing, the defect often appears only after the product has reached the customer.

In fusing, the thermoplastic adhesive on the back of the interlining melts with heat and penetrates the fabric fibers under pressure. If the temperature is insufficient, the adhesive does not melt fully; if it is too high, it passes to the front of the fabric and creates stains and stiffness.

Time and pressure determine how far the adhesive works into the fabric.

Fusing quality is verified before production with simple tests. Peel resistance is checked on sample pieces, and then bubbles and separation are looked for after washing or dry cleaning. Doing this verification for every new fabric-interlining combination prevents surprises in series production.

In transfer printing, a pattern, label or logo is transferred to the fabric from a carrier film. The permanence of the print depends on choosing the temperature to suit the film and fabric, distributing pressure evenly over the surface and setting the time correctly.

Whether the carrier film is peeled off hot or after cooling is also determined by the material used.

In these two processes, the flatness of the press table and the heat distribution are decisive. If one corner of the table is colder than another, it means different bonding quality on the same piece.

Seeing these presses at work at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition gave visitors the chance to observe heat distribution and the consistency of the result on site.

4. SERIES IRONING OF JEANS, SHIRTS AND LAUNDRY

Jeans, shirt and laundry ironing are areas that stand out with high volume and short cycle times. In these groups, efficiency depends on setting up an uninterrupted workflow as much as on machine speed. Having these groups together at the Malkan Machinery stand at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition showed different faces of series ironing in the same area.

In jeans ironing, the fabric is thick and stiff, and it often comes to ironing after washing processes. Higher pressure and sufficient steam are needed in the waist, pocket and hem areas, and the buck surface is chosen accordingly so that seam thicknesses leave no mark on the surface.

Recovering the dimensions changed by washing is also a task specific to the jeans line.

In shirt ironing, the collar, cuff and body are processed separately. Symmetry and tip sharpness are targeted on collar and cuff presses, and a wrinkle-free, shine-free surface on body ironing. Blowing systems shape the body from inside with steam and dry it with hot air, providing a flow suited to series production.

In laundry ironing, product variety is wide and the workflow is continuous. Flat work is prominent in hotel and hospital textiles, and form presses in work clothing. In these businesses, energy consumption is one of the large cost items, so insulation and steam efficiency matter in particular.

In series ironing, the operator's repeated movements also determine efficiency. As the distance between placing the part on the table, closing the press and taking out the product shortens, speed rises and fatigue falls. The ergonomic setup of the workstation is therefore as important as machine selection.

Malkan Machinery's Texprocess participation report can also be reviewed as an example of the company's other fair participations.

5. DRY CLEANING AND BAGGING: QUALITY AFTER IRONING

A view of the stand during the fair.

In a dry cleaning business, ironing is the last process the customer sees. After cleaning, the garment has partly lost its form; jackets, trousers, skirts and shirts are reshaped on different presses within the same day. For this reason, versatile bucks and quick setting changes matter in the dry cleaning ironing group.

Stain tables are the quality assurance of the dry cleaning line. The chemical suited to the stain is chosen before and after cleaning, and the stained area is treated with steam and vacuum without harming the fabric. Trying the chemical first on a hidden area reduces the risk of color loss and marks.

Bagging carries the effort of ironing to the customer. If an ironed product is bagged before it has fully cooled, moisture left inside can create new wrinkles and odor, so cooling time is included in the flow.

The right hanger, a suitable bag length and neat folding preserve the look of the product on the shelf or at delivery.

That dry cleaning, laundry and bagging equipment shared the same stand with the garment groups at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition reminded visitors that ironing determines quality not only on the production line but also in the service sector. This integrity offered a common language to visitors from different sectors.

6. REAL INSTALLATION AT THE STAND: STEAM, VACUUM AND AIR

The distinguishing feature of the Malkan Machinery stand at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was that the machines worked on a real installation. The team set up steam, vacuum and compressed air lines at the stand and showed ironing in a way close to factory conditions.

The visitor saw not only the movement of the press but also its real result on fabric.

Salim Kutuk stated that this approach was later adopted by other domestic and foreign participants as well. According to Kutuk, it was a source of pride for the Malkan Machinery team that the project of doing real ironing at a fair stand found a response in the industry.

This development also showed how valuable a working display is for the visitor.

Setting up an installation on the fairground is a preparation that calls for technical care. A steam source with a capacity suited to the presses at the stand is needed, condensate must be removed safely and the lines must be insulated.

The noise and placement of the vacuum unit and the compressor are also planned with visitor comfort in mind.

Safety is an inseparable part of this preparation. Safety valves on pressurized lines, protection on hot surfaces and the visitor's distance from the working machine are determined from the start. Compliance with the fair management's technical rules is also required for the approval of the installation project.

The value of a demonstration on a real installation lies in being able to measure the result directly. The penetration of dry steam into the fabric without leaving marks, how fast the vacuum sets the form and the closing force of the press can be seen realistically only under these conditions.

Visitors to the Tüyap 2012 exhibition judged this difference with their own eyes at the stand.

7. TRIAL IRONING WITH THE VISITOR'S OWN GARMENT

A general view of the Malkan Machinery stand.

At the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, Malkan Machinery ironed at the stand the garments that customers who wished brought with them. This practice let visitors see the quality of Malkan ironing on their own product. Offering a concrete result instead of catalog information directly supported the decision process.

Trying with one's own fabric is especially important for a garment manufacturer. Fabric content, interlining combination, color and surface texture change the ironing result. A setting that gives a very good result on another fabric can leave shine or marks on the manufacturer's own product.

A correct method is followed in trial ironing. First the fabric content and the intended use of the product are learned, and then the temperature, steam and time settings are chosen. After ironing, the product is left to cool, and form, surface and dimensional change are evaluated together.

The main criteria looked at in the evaluation are these: whether there is shine on the surface, whether the seam mark shows through to the front, whether the form is kept after cooling and whether shrinkage is seen in dimensions. These criteria let the manufacturer compare the machine with its own quality standard.

The trial ironings at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition made it possible to do this comparison on site.

Trial ironing is also an instructive process for the supplier. Encountering different fabrics shows how setting ranges and buck choices work in the field. This feedback provides direct input to product development work.

8. PLC-CONTROLLED, ANATOMICAL FORM IRONING PRESSES

According to Salim Kutuk, the products that drew the most interest at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition were the fully equipped form ironing presses with PLC control, matched to human anatomy. Offered with speed, quality and a wide model range, these presses won the appreciation of domestic and foreign visitors.

Form presses are the determinant of quality, especially in jackets and outerwear.

An anatomical form means the buck is designed to match the shape of the garment as worn. When shoulder slope, chest volume and waist line find the right counterpart in the buck, the ironed product shows the same stance on the hanger and on the body.

On flat-surfaced presses, this shape can be obtained only approximately and with operator effort.

PLC control lets the form press perform the same process in every cycle. Steaming time, pressing force and vacuum time are stored in the program, and the operator only selects the program suited to the product. In this way, quality stays consistent even when shift and operator change.

On form presses, the buck cover and buck temperature also affect the result. A cover that breathes lets steam spread evenly, and a balanced buck temperature prevents moisture from remaining on the surface. These details show why examining the machine while it works at a fair like the Tüyap 2012 exhibition is valuable.

The company's long-term goals are covered on the Malkan Vision 2025-2026 page.

9. VISITOR PROFILE: CONCERN ABOUT BECOMING REGIONAL

An image from the fairground.

In his assessment of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, Salim Kutuk also shared his critical observations about the visitor profile. According to Kutuk, participation of companies active in ironing machines had declined. Even so, it was observed that the companies that did take part valued and cared about the organization greatly.

Kutuk stated that the number of foreign visitors from outside neighboring countries had decreased noticeably. The small number of visitors from Europe, America, Africa and the Far East created the impression that the Tüyap 2012 exhibition had taken on a more regional character.

In past years, by contrast, the fair had seen intense interest from end users and distributors from all over the world.

Starting from this observation, Kutuk stressed that the organizer needed to make an intensive effort at later fairs to increase foreign visitor participation. International buying delegations, promotion in target markets and cooperation with the foreign press are the usual tools of this effort. The expectation of participating companies was that the fair should preserve its international identity.

Such open assessments contribute to the development of the fair. A participant's observation is valuable feedback from the field for the organizer. While voicing its satisfaction at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, Malkan Machinery also shared without hesitation the aspects that needed improvement.

For information on the company's expansion goals, the page on the Malkan Cakiroglu strategic partnership can be consulted.

10. FAIR INVESTMENT AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH R&D

Kutuk reminded that participating companies make serious investments for fairs and bear significant costs. The most important return on this investment is that visitors see new and technological products on site. According to Kutuk, the participation of domestic visitors alone did not meet expectations and negatively affected enthusiasm for R&D.

Malkan Machinery's goal at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was to build international business connections. Developing a new product requires a long R&D process, and it is important for the return on investment that the product reaches a wide buyer audience. The decline in international visitors was seen as a factor slowing this cycle.

Kutuk also stressed that fairs are the shortest and most effective way to present the latest innovations and the results of R&D work to the customer. The Tüyap 2012 exhibition benefited Malkan Machinery in this respect. That criticism and satisfaction were voiced together showed that the assessment was made with a balanced view.

A fair investment is not limited to stand rent and design. Shipping and installation of machines, utilities, staff, samples and promotional material are part of this investment. For this reason, participating companies closely follow the visitor quality and international reach of the fair.

Several concrete indicators are used to measure the return of a fair. The number of qualified meetings, quotations given after the Tüyap 2012 exhibition, requests from new countries and time to order conversion come first among them. When these indicators are recorded, the decision to take part in the next fair is also based on data.

For the company's goals in the following period, the Malkan 2018 target page can be consulted.

11. UNINTERRUPTED PARTICIPATION AND THANKS

Malkan Machinery took its place at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition as a company that has participated continuously in the Clothing Machinery Fair since the year it first opened and has grown with every participation. The interest shown by visitors was a source of great satisfaction for the company. Uninterrupted participation gave customers a message of continuity and trust.

According to Kutuk, the fact that many large and small companies dropped by the stand and congratulated the team on the products showed that the work done had found a response. This interest encouraged the team to develop better and new ironing systems. Visitor feedback also became the roadmap for preparing for later fairs.

Concluding his assessment with thanks, Kutuk conveyed the company's gratitude to all domestic and foreign customers for their interest. This thanks covered everyone who visited the Tüyap 2012 exhibition stand. For Malkan Machinery, the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was a meeting where the relationship with customers was renewed face to face.

For the company's next fair vision, the Garment Tech Istanbul 2025 vision page can be consulted.

12. Conclusion: Tüyap 2012 Exhibition and Malkan Machinery

The Tüyap 2012 exhibition was one of the fairs where Malkan Machinery displayed its product range most broadly. The nine ironing groups working on real steam, vacuum and air installations showed visitors the performance of the factory on site. Trial ironings for customers who brought their own garments turned this display into a personal experience.

Salim Kutuk's assessment recorded, alongside satisfaction, a concern about the international identity of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition. This frankness was a valuable contribution from the field to the development of the fair. Malkan Machinery left the Tüyap 2012 exhibition with both strong customer interest and a clear development agenda for later fairs.

13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When and where was the Tüyap 2012 exhibition held? The fair was held May 31-June 3, 2012, at the Tüyap Exhibition Hall in Istanbul. Malkan Machinery was among the participants.

Which ironing groups did Malkan Machinery display at the Tüyap 2012 exhibition? Jacket, trouser, jeans, shirt, transfer printing, fusing, bagging, dry cleaning and laundry ironing groups were displayed in working condition.

Why was a real installation set up at the stand? The steam, vacuum and air installation let the machines work close to factory conditions. The visitor saw the ironing result on fabric realistically.

Could visitors have their own garments ironed? Yes. Garments that customers who wished brought with them were ironed at the stand, and the result was evaluated on their own products.

What observation about the visitor profile of the Tüyap 2012 exhibition was shared? Salim Kutuk stated that foreign visitors from outside neighboring countries had decreased and that the organizer needed to increase international participation.

What advantage does an anatomical form press provide? Because the buck matches the shape of the garment as worn, the product keeps the same stance on the hanger and on the body. PLC control repeats this result in every cycle.

What is the most common error in fusing? Insufficient temperature or time prevents the adhesive from working fully into the fabric. The problem is usually seen as bubbles and separation after washing or dry cleaning.

Why does jeans ironing need different settings? Denim is thick and stiff and often comes to ironing after washing. Higher pressure and sufficient steam are needed in the waist, pocket and hem areas.