The new six-chamber stenter features an integrated heat recovery system, improved energy efficiency and advanced fabric processing capabilities.
French textile finishing company AEI – Ateliers d’Ennoblissement d’Irigny – has installed a new electrically powered MONTEX stenter line from Monforts. The six-chamber machine is designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and deliver consistent fabric quality. The investment also supports AEI’s long-term strategy to modernise its manufacturing operations.
AEI Invests in All-Electric Monforts Technology
Rising energy costs continue to challenge the global textile industry. In some European countries, manufacturers pay up to seven times more for energy than businesses in other parts of the world.
However, France offers certain advantages for electricity-based manufacturing. Its energy system relies heavily on low-carbon power generation. Nuclear energy accounts for a large share of electricity production, while renewable energy capacity continues to grow.
This energy mix creates opportunities for French textile manufacturers to reduce their carbon emissions through electrification.
AEI has taken advantage of this opportunity by installing a new six-chamber MONTEX stenter line from Monforts. The machine is powered entirely by electricity and replaces an older unit that was originally installed in the 1980s.
Customised Stenter Design Supports Flexible Production
The new MONTEX stenter has a working width of 3.2 metres. It also features extended inlet arms to support different fabric widths and weights.
The machine can process fabrics with the following specifications:
- Fabric width: From 70 centimetres
- Fabric weight: 15 to 1,000 gsm
- Working width: 3.2 metres
- Configuration: Six-chamber stenter
- Heating system: 100% electric
In addition to electric heating, the machine includes an integrated heat recovery system. This helps improve energy efficiency by recovering heat during production.
The installation is also part of AEI’s wider energy management strategy. As part of this programme, the company installed an electric transformer to replace its previous gas-powered system.
According to general manager Céline de Montigny, the investment will help reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
“We continue to monitor our consumption through targeted management and this new MONTEX stenter will significantly reduce our carbon emissions thanks to 100% electric power and the energy recovery system,” says Céline de Montigny.
She also highlighted improvements in workplace safety and fabric processing. The machine features ergonomic design elements that reduce handling strain for operators. Furthermore, it supports more consistent quality in chemical and mechanical textile finishing.
Supporting France’s Textile Manufacturing Heritage
AEI was established in 2012 following the merger of two long-established textile finishing companies in the Lyon region of France.
The company is part of a group of nine specialised workshops. Together, these operations cover the entire textile value chain for leading luxury brands.
The group employs more than 800 people, with all nine operations based in France. Most of its activities are located in the historic textile hub of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
This integrated structure supports quality control and traceability across production. It also helps preserve specialised textile manufacturing expertise within France.
Processing Natural and Synthetic Fibres
AEI works with a wide range of textile materials. Its capabilities include processing natural fibres such as silk, cashmere, cotton and linen.
The company also handles synthetic materials, including polyamide and viscose.
Its production capabilities cover three key stages:
- Textile preparation
- Dyeing
- Fabric finishing
Although these processes are increasingly outsourced to Asian markets, AEI continues to maintain them in France.
This approach helps preserve industrial expertise, ensure product traceability and support the regional textile industry.
Céline de Montigny highlighted the importance of quality and local manufacturing in the company’s long-term strategy.
“The pursuit of quality is ingrained in our company’s culture and has built our reputation, strength and longevity,” she says.
She added that electrification offers both environmental and commercial benefits in France. It builds on the country’s existing energy infrastructure while supporting more efficient and resilient industrial operations.
Monforts Technology Supports High-Quality Textile Finishing
The new MONTEX stenter combines advanced engineering with resource-efficient production technology.
Christophe Monel of Monel Industrie Services, Monforts’ long-standing representative in France, also highlighted the importance of the investment.
“Quality and the preservation of invaluable expertise, combined with the very latest technologies such as the new resource-efficient MONTEX stenter, guarantee exceptional textile processing at AEI,” he says.
He added that projects like this demonstrate the continued value of French textile manufacturing and advanced German engineering.
With the installation of its new all-electric MONTEX stenter, AEI is strengthening its focus on energy efficiency, production quality and sustainable textile finishing. The investment also supports the company’s commitment to preserving specialised manufacturing expertise in France.