RIFA Textile Machinery Supports Industry Breakthroughs as AI Computing Power Drives Surging Demand

On April 16, the “Special Seminar on the R&D of Textile Machinery Equipment for Fiberglass Electronic Fabric Production” was successfully held in Liaocheng, Shandong Province. The event was jointly organized by the China Fiberglass Industry Association and the China Textile Machinery Association, and co-organized by Shandong RIFA Textile Machinery Co., Ltd.

More than 100 industry representatives gathered to discuss the localization and technological advancement of high-end fiberglass equipment manufacturing in China.

As global AI computing infrastructure accelerates, demand for fiberglass electronic fabrics — a key substrate material for printed circuit boards (PCBs) — is growing rapidly. However, critical production equipment such as high-end air-jet looms and sizing machines has long relied on imports, creating major bottlenecks for industrial upgrading. The seminar focused on overcoming these “chokepoint” challenges, covering topics from current technology status and development priorities to localization strategies.

Identifying Opportunities in the Fiberglass Industry

Gu Ping, President of the China Textile Machinery Association, stated that driven by the rapid growth of emerging industries such as AI, the fiberglass market is entering a period of significant opportunity. However, the textile machinery industry still faces challenges in effectively supporting fiberglass production.

The seminar brought together leading companies from both the textile machinery and fiberglass industries, including manufacturers of air-jet looms, tension controllers, and fiberglass-related equipment. The goal was to clarify industry demands, define technical directions, and promote the high-quality development of the fiberglass industry.

Gu Ping noted that while China’s textile machinery industry has made continuous progress in intelligent manufacturing and precision engineering, its capability to adapt to emerging sectors such as fiberglass still requires improvement. Achieving domestic substitution for key equipment will require coordinated efforts across the entire industrial chain.

During China’s “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the government has placed strong emphasis on the development of advanced material industries. Successful collaboration in the carbon fiber sector provides valuable experience that the fiberglass industry can learn from through coordinated innovation and industrial upgrading.

Liu Jianhua, President of the China Fiberglass Industry Association, emphasized that fiberglass electronic materials are critical foundational materials supporting strategic emerging industries such as AI and 6G. If electronic fabrics and related textile machinery cannot meet market demand, the development of these industries may be constrained. He called on both industries to align with national strategic priorities and strengthen collaborative efforts.

He proposed including fiberglass electronic fabric textile machinery development in China’s national “Challenge-Response” innovation program, with clearly defined technical targets benchmarked against international standards and a development cycle of 2–5 years. He also encouraged fiberglass manufacturers to actively define technical requirements and increase R&D investment, while textile machinery companies should focus on high-end development and equipment breakthroughs.

Addressing Weaknesses to Support Industry Upgrading

Li Xueqing, Chief Engineer of the China Textile Machinery Association, stated that China’s textile machinery industry has expanded from traditional applications into advanced electronic material sectors. Most fiberglass electronic fabric equipment has already achieved domestic production capability, providing important support for the electronics information industry.

However, in high-end applications such as ultra-thin electronic fabrics and low-dielectric materials, core equipment still depends heavily on imports. Key technologies, especially high-precision tension control systems, remain significant bottlenecks.

She stressed that future development will require close collaboration between upstream and downstream industries to accelerate breakthroughs in high-end equipment technologies and improve the competitiveness of domestic equipment comprehensively.

Liu Changlei, Secretary-General of the China Fiberglass Industry Association, added that AI and 6G technologies are driving electronic devices toward higher frequencies, faster transmission speeds, and lower power consumption. As a result, demand for low-dielectric and low-expansion fiberglass electronic yarn is increasing rapidly, while domestic high-end production capacity remains insufficient.

At present, core equipment for ultra-thin electronic fabric production still relies on imports, especially advanced tension controllers and high-end air-jet looms, which have become major constraints on industrial upgrading.

He suggested leveraging national innovation programs and special funding support to accelerate domestic equipment R&D, promote collaborative innovation across the supply chain, and ensure the security of China’s electronics information industry supply chain.

Product Development and Accelerating Domestic Substitution

During the seminar, leading companies including Taishan Fiberglass and Jushi Group shared insights on domestic equipment technologies. Many participants acknowledged that some domestically produced equipment has already entered commercial application, although improvements are still needed in precision, stability, and efficiency for high-end products.

Companies also proposed specific recommendations regarding machining accuracy, service life of core components, design optimization, and intelligent functionalities. At the same time, they noted that domestic equipment still requires better adaptability for producing high-end products such as ultra-thin fiberglass fabrics.

Participants expressed strong expectations for accelerated innovation in domestic equipment to support the high-quality development of the fiberglass industry.

Zhai Ziyong, President of the RIFA Textile Machinery Research Institute, introduced the company’s overall industrial layout and business scope. RIFA Textile Machinery currently operates three major industrial bases:

• Liaocheng Base: Focused on weaving machinery, including air-jet looms, water-jet looms, rapier looms, towel looms, special looms, and automatic warp drawing systems.

• Ma’anshan Base (Anhui): Dedicated to the complete cotton spinning industry chain, covering blow room, carding, drawing, and rotor spinning equipment.

• Shaoxing Base (Zhejiang): Focused on twisting and knitting machinery.

Shen Jingchun, General Manager of the Special Machinery Division of Shandong RIFA Textile Machinery, further introduced the company’s fiberglass equipment portfolio. The RFJA32 model is designed for industrial-grade applications, while the RFGF10 targets mid-range markets. In addition, the company has developed a high-end model specifically for thin and ultra-thin fabric production, forming a relatively comprehensive product line.

RIFA has already achieved progress in key areas including component precision, weft insertion systems, and tension control technologies. The company plans to further accelerate localization efforts and create greater value for customers.

From initial exploration to coordinated industry-wide collaboration, China’s high-end electronic fabric equipment industry is moving from “catching up” to “competing alongside” global leaders. Achieving true technological independence will require unified industry understanding, data sharing, and system-level collaboration.

This seminar established an efficient communication platform for the industry and clarified the future direction and development pathway for domestic fiberglass equipment. Moving forward, both industries will continue working together to accelerate the realization of independent and controllable high-end equipment manufacturing, while promoting the fiberglass industry toward high-end, green, and intelligent development.