Lubricants for the Textile Industry

… from basics to haute couture

Did you know that the textile industry is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic industries and that the global textile market grows annually by billions of euros? In many countries, the textile industry is even ranked number one among the most important industrial sectors. Depending on the production process, a variety of machines requiring a wide range of lubricants are used to manufacture all these textiles.

A large part of the market is regionally targeted toward Asia-Pacific, while North America is regarded as the fastest-growing market—aided by the growth in cotton cultivation areas and the rising demand for natural textile fibers. The industry is also stepping up the use of recycled plastic fibers, which further underlines the central role of sustainable production methods.

BECHEM India’s high-performance lubricants have established it as a trusted brand for decades in top textile-producing countries. Its areas of focus include key processes of textile production such as spinning, weaving, and knitting as well as downstream steps such as dyeing and finishing fabrics.

These products were able to prevail in both customer tests and comparisons with competitor products. They excel thanks to their performance, such as extended relubrication intervals and reduced lubricant quantities in the components—which is a clear advantage for the textile industry.

Innovation with BECHEM Staroil KNT 32-1

The needle and sinker oils specially developed by BECHEM India are a special highlight we’d like to share. For many years now, they have been well-established on the market in the viscosity classes ISO VG 22, 32, and 46.

BECHEM Germany also developed a formula for a needle and sinker oil that complies with ISO VG 32 based on the raw materials available in Europe: It goes by the brand name BECHEM Staroil KNT 32‑1. It is used for circular knitting machines in the European, American, and North African textile industries due to its delivery route. Tribological requirements such as the friction value, wear depth, and wear dome as well as the use of additives and emulsifiers to optimize the washability are at the heart of this demanding innovation.

In addition to the obtaining Ecocert Germany’s Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS*) certification, we commissioned Groz-Beckert, a leading global manufacturer of industrial machine needles, to undertake independent testing in accordance with DIN 62136‑1 and verify the impressive results for us: “The sampled oil has a good viscosity index, and thus complies with the criteria for cold starting and warming up the knitting machine. It offers excellent washability with standard washing solutions. All other values determined comply with DIN 62136 specifications.”

Aside from being tested in accordance with DIN, BECHEM Staroil KNT 32‑1 needed to prove its electrical properties and compatibility with the plastics used in electronic components. These tests were carried out by the testing and diagnostic technology specialist Hoerbiger, whose components are used, for instance, in the circular knitting machines manufactured by Terrot. Hoerbiger confirmed the successful test: “The oil has a high insulation resistance, and no significant leakage current occurred during the storage test. No chemical reactions or surface migration were observed on the actuators and circuit boards following four weeks of storage. As a result, the oil is ideal for use with our SITEX and RECAM modules and will be added to our approval list.”

To position ourselves as a leader for both circular and flat knitting machines in the entire textile industry, the product family was completed in 2025 with the addition of two sister products: BECHEM Staroil KNT 22‑1 with a viscosity grade of 22 and BECHEM Staroil KNT 46‑1 with a viscosity grade of 46.