A New Mile Stone in the History of our Company
THE 50,000th DORNIER WEAVING MACHINE GOES TO ITALY

In Autumn 2002, the 50,000th DORNIER weaving machine was delivered to the Michele Solbiati Sasil S.p.A. company, with headquarters in Lonate Pozzolo, Italy, as part of a follow-on order.

The first DORNIER Rapier weaving machines with patented, controlled central transfer left the Lindau factory in 1967 and proved themselves in the next 35 years as extremely universal and flexible machines for clothing and home textile sectors as well as the growing technical fabric area.

The new Air-jet weaving machine presented in 1991 marked the birth of the DORNIER system family with a powerful combination for optimum economic production across complete customer product ranges. Both technologies use the same basic, sturdy machine so that the majority of machine components are identical. The same is valid for electronics and accessories which means simple handling for personnel and lower storage and logistic costs.

Every third machine produced during the last 12 years was an Air-jet machine which demonstrates the significance of the Lindauer DORNIER machine mix.

The Solbiati Sasil company was one of  the first Italian DORNIER customers to purchase Rapier weaving machines already in 1973. Continuous modernisation of the machine park increased the number of DORNIER weaving machines to 250. 
This customer also uses the system family successfully with a group of Air-jet machines for high-value staple fibre complementing 176 Rapier machines in the Lonate Pozzolo and Varano Borghi factories.

The company was established in 1874 as a craftsman‘s business and is now a leading European linen weaver with close business relationships with all renowned great fashion designers – from A for Armani through V for Versace to Y for Yamamoto.

New developments over recent years in the area of linen processing and the combination with other fibres serve to extend the product range with new, high-value fabrics for bed sheets, curtains, furnishing fabrics and home environment accessories.

A large trade network of branches in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Munich, Barcelona, Istanbul and investments in China and Brazil increased the export share to more than 65%. This paves the way for future positive development.

The villa of Lonate Pozzolo, a former 18th century monastery now serving as company headquarters, accommodates an important record of Italian fabrics. It is supplemented by a collection of textile-specific books and works of art with linen as basic material and source of inspiration.