Innovation center Winterthur

In the summer of 2024, Rieter moved into its corporate headquarters on the new Campus in Winterthur. The new facility houses the most modern innovation and technology center of its kind, combining Rieter’s extensive know-how and many years of experience in the yarn manufacturing process under one roof. The focus of development is on the areas of automation, digitization, artificial intelligence and recycling technologies. The ultimate goal is to enable customers to realize the full potential of their spinning mills under sustainable production conditions.

The new Campus in Winterthur (Switzerland) has been Rieter’s corporate headquarters since the summer of 2024. For the first time, all employees at the Winterthur site are now together under one roof. This opens up new opportunities to share knowledge across departmental boundaries. The Campus is thus ideally positioned to act as a driving force for the spinning industry and to establish itself as a center of innovation for the entire sector.

Each year, Rieter invests around five percent of its sales in research and development for spinning systems as well as digitization solutions. The innovation center in Winterthur clearly demonstrates the company’s commitment to the region and continues its 230-year tradition.

A hub for innovation

The Campus is home to the world’s most advanced innovation and technology center, which is equipped like a small spinning mill. From the bale opener and the four final spinning processes to the winding machine, Rieter’s complete portfolio of machinery required for spinning yarn is available here. Innovative automation solutions are also installed, such as ROBOspin, the successful fully automatic piecing robot, or SERVOlap, the lap transport system of the combing section.

Here, customers from all over the world learn first-hand how to adapt their products to the latest trends and requirements of the textile industry. They have the unique opportunity to exchange the latest findings face-to-face with product developers and technologists. Together with Rieter’s specialists, customers can perform spinning tests and evaluate practical and economical solutions for their individual needs, for example for the production of yarns from recycled fibers.

The innovation and technology center is also the ideal location for customer training. Course participants practice on the latest machines and the most advanced automation and digitization solutions. The focus is on productivity, maintenance efficiency, cost effectiveness and efficient spinning mill management. Because only well-trained personnel can realize the full potential of a spinning mill.

Perfect conditions for yarn development

Well-known fashion brands, start-ups and a wide variety of organizations are increasingly looking for comprehensive knowledge and recommendations for spinning new raw materials, including mechanically and chemically recycled fibers. From fiber preparation to yarn spinning, the innovation and technology center provides the perfect environment for developing the right components and evaluating the optimal machine settings.

These development projects extend beyond yarn production to the production of textile fabrics. Rieter’s experts are constantly expanding their knowledge, which allows them to provide fashion labels, fabric producers and start-ups with valuable information on yarn development and optimal processing in the subsequent process stages. After all, it is the finished product that determines success in the market.

Collaboration far beyond company boundaries

New and ongoing product development takes place on the Campus in so-called innovation cells. Here, experienced experts and talented, dynamic young people work closely together. Individual experience, leveraging synergies across product areas, and analyzing the diverse needs and challenges of customers around the world are of great importance. This leads to new initiatives that create new ways of thinking beyond machine development and push the boundaries of what is possible.

At Rieter, however, collaboration is not limited to joint projects with customers or fashion brands. Important new technologies and components are also developed in close cooperation with renowned universities and external research institutes, as well as with respected specialists from the textile industry.

Experiencing textile expertise

The new Showroom is a center for dialogue and an ideal setting for sharing knowledge with customers and partners. This is where textile expertise comes to life. Depending on the customer’s interest, Rieter’s product portfolio can be discussed in detail, including products and components from Accotex, Bräcker, Graf, Novibra, Suessen, SSM and Temco. Fabric samples and finished products, especially those made from recycled fibers, are a highlight here, as the feel and look of a fabric are the most important factors for a textile manufacturer.