#216 Pultrusion Rethought: Multi‑Axial Textiles by KARL MAYER | JEC World 2026
06.05.2026 10 min Staffel 5 Episode 174
Zusammenfassung & Show Notes
At JEC World 2026, the global leading trade fair for composites, Composites360onTour stopped at the booth of KARL MAYER to discuss recent developments in composite reinforcement technologies with a clear focus on pultrusion and multi axial textiles.
This episode is hosted by Ilkay Özkisaoglu, Co Founder of Composites Lounge, who leads the conversation as part of Composites Lounge’s ongoing Composites360onTour interview format. The discussion features Hagen Lotzmann, President & Managing Director, Business Unit Technical Textiles at KARL MAYER, and Jürgen Tröltzsch, Product Specialist Composites at KARL MAYER.
The interview provides a focused technical update on KARL MAYER’s multi axial non crimp fabric (NCF) solutions and their integration into pultrusion processes—a topic of increasing relevance for structural composite applications requiring more than pure unidirectional reinforcement.
Traditionally, pultrusion relies on unidirectional rovings optimized primarily for axial load and bending stiffness. As discussed in this episode, KARL MAYER is addressing the growing demand for multi directional fiber architectures by enabling the use of multi axial knitted fabrics inside pultrusion molds. These structures allow fiber orientations such as 0°, 90°, ±45°, or even ±60°, enabling engineers to better manage torsional loads and complex stress states while maintaining continuous production.
The conversation highlights the advantages of knitted multi axial fabrics compared to woven reinforcements, including improved fiber fixation, reduced crimp, and higher flexibility in layer orientation. KARL MAYER’s multi axial technologies allow large width fabrics to be produced efficiently and subsequently slit into narrow strips suitable for pultrusion, down to widths of less than 10 cm.
The interview also clarifies the dominant role of thermoset resin systems in pultrusion, driven by the need for high mechanical performance, stiffness, and reliable fiber impregnation. Application examples discussed include railway and transportation systems, particularly underfloor components in metro trains, where lightweight design, structural integrity, and fire protection requirements converge.
Beyond the showcased pultrusion application, the discussion expands to KARL MAYER’s broader multi axial machine business, including strong demand for glass fiber based solutions in mass markets such as the wind energy sector. Growth in regions like China and India is addressed, alongside expectations for renewed investment in Europe.
The episode concludes with KARL MAYER’s positioning not only as a supplier of high volume machinery, but also as a partner for customized solutions and niche composite applications, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to both standardized and application specific textile engineering.
This podcast episode is particularly relevant for:
• Composite engineers and material developers
• Pultrusion and structural composites specialists
• Professionals in transportation, wind energy, and infrastructure sectors
• Decision makers evaluating textile reinforcement strategies
📍 Recorded at JEC World 2026
🎙️ Composites360onTour by Composites Lounge
Keywords / Tags:
KARL MAYER, JEC World 2026, Composites360onTour, Pultrusion, Multi Axial Fabrics, Non Crimp Fabrics, Technical Textiles, Composite Reinforcement, Glass Fiber, Carbon Fiber, Transportation Composites, Wind Energy Composites, Textile Engineering
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▶Website 1: https://www.dersocialceo.com
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▶Website 3: https://www.imbeo.de
▶Website 4: https://www.contentcreatorclub.de
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/ imbeo
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#️⃣🔥Hashtag:
#Composites360OnTour #JECWorld #IlkayÖzkisaoglu #JECWorld #CompositeIndustry
YouTube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxN7zOvRlB0
This episode is hosted by Ilkay Özkisaoglu, Co Founder of Composites Lounge, who leads the conversation as part of Composites Lounge’s ongoing Composites360onTour interview format. The discussion features Hagen Lotzmann, President & Managing Director, Business Unit Technical Textiles at KARL MAYER, and Jürgen Tröltzsch, Product Specialist Composites at KARL MAYER.
The interview provides a focused technical update on KARL MAYER’s multi axial non crimp fabric (NCF) solutions and their integration into pultrusion processes—a topic of increasing relevance for structural composite applications requiring more than pure unidirectional reinforcement.
Traditionally, pultrusion relies on unidirectional rovings optimized primarily for axial load and bending stiffness. As discussed in this episode, KARL MAYER is addressing the growing demand for multi directional fiber architectures by enabling the use of multi axial knitted fabrics inside pultrusion molds. These structures allow fiber orientations such as 0°, 90°, ±45°, or even ±60°, enabling engineers to better manage torsional loads and complex stress states while maintaining continuous production.
The conversation highlights the advantages of knitted multi axial fabrics compared to woven reinforcements, including improved fiber fixation, reduced crimp, and higher flexibility in layer orientation. KARL MAYER’s multi axial technologies allow large width fabrics to be produced efficiently and subsequently slit into narrow strips suitable for pultrusion, down to widths of less than 10 cm.
The interview also clarifies the dominant role of thermoset resin systems in pultrusion, driven by the need for high mechanical performance, stiffness, and reliable fiber impregnation. Application examples discussed include railway and transportation systems, particularly underfloor components in metro trains, where lightweight design, structural integrity, and fire protection requirements converge.
Beyond the showcased pultrusion application, the discussion expands to KARL MAYER’s broader multi axial machine business, including strong demand for glass fiber based solutions in mass markets such as the wind energy sector. Growth in regions like China and India is addressed, alongside expectations for renewed investment in Europe.
The episode concludes with KARL MAYER’s positioning not only as a supplier of high volume machinery, but also as a partner for customized solutions and niche composite applications, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to both standardized and application specific textile engineering.
This podcast episode is particularly relevant for:
• Composite engineers and material developers
• Pultrusion and structural composites specialists
• Professionals in transportation, wind energy, and infrastructure sectors
• Decision makers evaluating textile reinforcement strategies
📍 Recorded at JEC World 2026
🎙️ Composites360onTour by Composites Lounge
Keywords / Tags:
KARL MAYER, JEC World 2026, Composites360onTour, Pultrusion, Multi Axial Fabrics, Non Crimp Fabrics, Technical Textiles, Composite Reinforcement, Glass Fiber, Carbon Fiber, Transportation Composites, Wind Energy Composites, Textile Engineering
🌐🔗Visit Our Website:
▶Website 1: https://www.dersocialceo.com
▶Website 2: https://www.compositeslounge.com
▶Website 3: https://www.imbeo.de
▶Website 4: https://www.contentcreatorclub.de
🌐🔗Follow Us: LinkedIn
▶
/ imbeo ▶
/ content-creator-club ▶
/ compositeslounge ▶
/ der-social-ceo #️⃣🔥Hashtag:
#Composites360OnTour #JECWorld #IlkayÖzkisaoglu #JECWorld #CompositeIndustry
YouTube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxN7zOvRlB0
Transkript
So wonderful
good afternoon dear LinkedIn community,
JEC World exhibitors and visitors.
I'm here one more time with KARL MAYER
and now we are talking
about the composites
update from KARL MAYER,
because obviously
they have here a nice booth.
Yeah, let's talk about the upgrades.
And I see a few nice parts here.
So what parts do
we have here Jürgen?
Yeah.
So for this year
on JEC exhibition,
we focus on a more trendy application
that we also have,
which is our fabrics inside,
which is a multi-axial
weft in
pultrusion well-known
composite technology for parts,
especially for long parts,
continuous diameter,
especially for bending
stiffness, strength,
and normally your
input into the pultrusion,
you need directional rovings.
But this time
I think with multi-axial inside
you can apply it
for different orientations
of stiffness and strength.
So if, for example,
if you have not only bending, yeah,
of course,
but also need some against torsion,
then it makes of course
sense to have integration of multi-axial.
Actually you can integrate directly
into the pultrusion, into the mold.
Our benefit
of multi-axial fabrics
compared to the woven fabric
is that with our knitting yarn
we have a good fixation
of our yarn on the one hand.
On the other hand, we also can use it
in different directions.
It's flexible.
It can be of course
90 degrees, can be plus/minus
45 degrees, can be even 60 degrees.
So this is possible
to produce
multi-axial fabrics
and then go into deeper solutions.
This is the focus of the JEC
for this year.
Well, very good.
So the multi-axial machines,
this is the “ehemalige” LIBA
right? Not necessarily.
Not necessarily. Okay.
There are different technologies.
So multi-axial, dear community,
is a very exciting technology.
Let's dive quickly into multi-axial,
because they are called
non-crimp fabrics.
So they are not really tightly interwoven
but layered
and then stitched
basically together.
And so
do you make strips out
of these
multi-axial layers?
Yeah.
So because as you know
our machines are made
for high
mass production.
So nominal working width
is up to 100, 101
and even up to 130 inch
working width,
and this is not what you can use
in pultrusion, of course.
So then of course we have
after the take-up device
the possibility
to cut in certain lengths
and width units.
And then you
of course can customize it
for going into tools, and so it can be
even lower than ten
centimeters in width.
Yeah.
Tell us about it, is it a thermoplast
or thermoset what you're having in here?
No, no, of course this is thermoset.
It's more or less
I would say 90% of the pultrusion
is thermoset.
Because of course you need it
because of the strength and stiffness
in the composite part also.
Then of course for the infiltration
to get the resin into the fibers.
Then normally it's done with it.
Can you talk about the application?
What is it from? Yeah.
So this is from
one of our partners, which uses
multi-axial fabrics
from our machines.
For the pultrusion.
This was the end application in rail
railsystems.
Railway transportation is used in the,
let's say in the underfloor
system of a
metro system,
for example.
So widely
it can be used
especially for lightweight applications
in transportation, with railway.
Of course immediately jumps
into my mind fire protection.
So what I know is,
of course you have in resin systems,
you have some flame-retardant systems
that are
suitable
for applications
where a lot of people are involved
in case of emergency.
Any other updates, Hagen?
Yeah.
Today at the JEC, yeah,
of course you can just introduce
two very specific applications,
multi-axial machines.
You mentioned our multi-axial machines.
I have to say last year
we had a fantastic year
for our multi-axial business.
Thank you very much.
Yeah.
We sold a lot of multi-axial machines.
Not for the carbon fiber
which you see here,
but for the glass fiber.
Yeah, it's a mass product.
Glass fiber is still wind industry.
And we had a fantastic year
in China and India,
so we could sell a lot of machines.
We have also brought our new development
to the market end of 24,
but really it took off in 2025.
Machine for the wind industry.
Is that what we also
promote this year here?
Because
we hope as KARL MAYER
that not only Asia
will invest into this
technology again.
Also Europe,
especially of course,
we see a big chance
also here for the future.
That's good, that's good.
Yeah.
I mean renewable energies
is always a great topic to talk about.
I got Nordic shares.
Yeah.
And my Nordic shares right
now, they're skyrocketing.
So it looks like
now finally after ten
years, yeah,
it's picking up.
So it's a good sign in the future.
Anything else you have today?
Of course.
I mean, we talked about
just multi-axial glass fiber,
which is more for the big volume markets,
but of course
KARL MAYER have always been there
for customized machines,
niche applications.
That's also our focus.
So you're happy to come here, speak
about your specific needs,
and we will sit together
and see what we can help you with,
a specific customized machine
also for these niche applications.
Also our focus.
So dear community,
this video edit will be
most probably after JEC.
So the next possibility to meet
you guys is at Techtextil.
Yes.
In the week of 21st to the
24th of April
in Frankfurt.
So see you guys there.
And of course at the
Textile Innovation Center
in Obertshausen, Hessen.
Yes. All right. Yes.
Thank you very much for your time
and being part of my show.
Yes.
Thank you for visiting us here.
This is also MIT Composites
360 on tour.
Visit us on
LinkedIn, YouTube
and podcasts.