At ITM 2026 in Istanbul, Behnam Ghasemi, Editor-in-Chief of Kohan Textile Journal, spoke with Kagan Kaynak about Mahlo’s latest innovations, the current state of the global textile market, and how the company’s new technology is helping manufacturers reduce waste, improve quality, and lower production costs during a challenging investment climate.
Q&A: Mahlo Discusses Innovation, Market Trends and the Future of Textile Quality Control
Q: Could you introduce Mahlo and its core expertise?
Kagan Kaynak: Mahlo was founded in 1945 and has specialized in weft straightening and textile quality control technologies for more than 80 years. Today, we are one of the industry’s leading technology providers, and in Türkiye we hold approximately 80–90% of the market for weft straightening systems.
In addition to weft control solutions, we manufacture process control systems for textile finishing lines, particularly for stenter machines. Beyond textiles, we also provide Quality Measurement Systems (QMS) for industries such as paper, nonwovens, plastics, and extrusion, where our technologies measure basis weight, thickness, and moisture.
This diversification is one of Mahlo’s greatest strengths. While the textile industry is currently experiencing a global slowdown, our solutions for non-textile industries help us maintain business opportunities across multiple sectors.
How do you evaluate the current textile market, particularly in the Middle East?
Kagan Kaynak: During the past six months, we saw several promising projects emerging across the Middle East. We were involved in discussions for projects in Dubai, and we are also encouraged to see gradual market activity returning to Syria.
Before the war, Syria was one of our strongest markets, so any recovery is positive for both the industry and our customers.
However, recent geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts have caused many investment projects to be postponed. I would say that nearly 90% of planned investments have been put on hold because companies are waiting for greater market stability before making major capital expenditures.
We remain optimistic that conditions will improve and investment activity will gradually resume.
Read More: Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG Names Steefan Moll CEO
What new technology is Mahlo presenting at ITM 2026?
Kagan Kaynak: Our main highlight is the Orthopac RVMC-20 Plus, an upgraded version of our well-established RVMC-15 weft straightening system.
Traditionally, weft straightening machines measure fabric distortion only at the machine’s exit. Sensors detect the weft position after the fabric has already passed through the machine, and corrections are then fed back to the rollers.
With the new RVMC-20 Plus, we have introduced an additional sensor system at the machine entrance. This allows the system to detect weft distortion immediately as the fabric enters the machine and instantly send correction commands to the rollers.
The result is a significant improvement in production quality. Problems that previously affected the first 9–10 meters of a fabric roll after each batch change can now be reduced to approximately 1–2 meters.
What benefits does this innovation offer textile manufacturers?
Kagan Kaynak: Today’s textile producers are under enormous pressure to reduce waste, save energy, and improve production efficiency.
The RVMC-20 Plus directly addresses these challenges by minimizing off-quality fabric at the beginning of each production run. Less waste means lower production costs, reduced energy consumption, and improved overall sustainability.
The technology has already attracted strong interest in Türkiye. This year we installed several new reference machines in the Bursa region, and discussions with additional customers are continuing.
For manufacturers looking to improve profitability while maintaining high quality standards, this technology offers a practical and measurable advantage.
