SleepTech Magazine Mattress, Accessories, Machinery, Raw Materials
Mert Makina, one of the leading mattress machinery manufacturers of Turkey, ships its over 1000 variety of competitive machinery to over 65 countries.
Starting with mattress tape edge machines Mert Makina continued its operations by manufacturing mattress and quilting machinery according to the needs of the industry in 2000s. Mr. Mustafa Nebi Dogan, general manager of the company, states that they have been manufacturing five different manufacturing lines and adds that they have been shipping their products to over 65 countries over the world. In an exclusive interview to Sleep Tech magazine Mr. Dogan stressed that R&D studies were vitally important for them in manufacturing fast and functional innovative products as MertTech. Details: First of all, could you inform us about Mert Makine? How long have you been serving the industry? Mert Makina is planted 6.000 square meters in Kayseri in 1994. We are produce Mattress and Furniture Production Machineries and are exporting these products to more than 65 countries for nearly 20 years. We have more than 1000 machineries working in mattress production all over the world. First time, Mert Makina has entered to the mattress production by manufacturing the mattress tape edge machine in 1900’s. Shortly after, we manufactured our first mechanic multi needle-quilting machine. We are one of the first manufacturers of multi needle quilting machines in Turkey. During the years, we have added step-by-step different kind of machines to our product range. When it comes to 2000s, according to time’s requirement we have started to manufacture automatic machines. Now we are first and only manufacturer that be able to establish complete mattress manufacturing facility in Turkey thanks to full range of the mattress machineries under the same roof. Could you brief us about your machines and their features? Mattress machineries can be divided in 5 different segments like; quilting machines, tape edge machines, coiling machines, packing machines, automatic production lines. Mert Makina has the widest mattress machinery segment in Turkey. That is one of our most important features that we are able to manufacture complete mattress manufacturing facility. Generally in our sector, mattress machinery producers manufacture either spring machines or quilting machines or the other mattress machines like packing machines, tape edge machines, border machines, etc.
1. Computerized Multi Needle Quilting Machine (Lock StitchChain Stitch)
Mert Makina is one of the first quilting machinery producers in Turkey. We have 2 kinds of computerized quilting machines for mattress and soft furniture production as chain stitch and lock stitch. The most important feature of Mert Makina’s machines is that they have both strong parts and special software program. Siemens, Ina, Skf, Lenze, Bonfigrioli,.. These are our important business partners and they raise the value of our quilting machines. We offer also panel and border cutting machine that works with perfect compliance behind all chain and lock stitch quilting machines, thanks to its high speed and millimetric sensitivity.
2. Tape Edge Machine (Automatic or Manuel)
Manual mattress tape edge machines are one of the most essential machine in mattress manufacturing sector.Manual mattress tape edge machine of Mert Makina is still used from Middle East to Europe, from Far East to America. In the last 10 years, automatic mattress tape edge machines get more popularity. These automatic machines that are preferred by many mattress manufacturers, both sew mattresses in every size fast and easily and maximize the quality with the edge tape’s smooth appearance on the mattress. Used parts of machine, special automatic slow down system in the corner, antistatic belts are the distinguishing features of Mert Makina from the other brands. For that reason, Mert Makina’s automatic mattress tape edge machine is the most preferred machine in the sector.
3. Mattress Packing Machine (Automatic or Manuel)
In the point of automatic mattress packing machine, we claim that we are the best manufacturers in Europe. Mert Makina’s automatic mattress packing machine which is known and proved itself, is nowadays in using in mattress manufacturing each corner of the world. Our prominence is so high that our customers don’t ask as automatic mattress packing machine, they ask by saying directly our product code “MMS-2200”. Manual mattress packing machine still responds to the needs of low capacity manufacturers or special product manufacturers.
4. Bonnell Coiling Machine & Bonnell Coil Assembly Machine
10 years ago, Mert Makina had started to manufacture coiling and assembly machine just to complete full range of the mattress machineries under the same roof. In the following years, we developed these 2 machines according to the sectorial demand and our experience. As a result of the high demand, we have doubled the capacity of this section in 2000s. Now, we are working on transforming the bonnell-coiling machine together with bonnell coil assembly machine to an automatic machine and also we will present a pocket spring machine on sale in the next year.
5. Automatic Mattress Production Lines
In the last 10 years, Mert Makina has concentrated to automatic mattress production lines and automatic solution systems. We are involved in many important and selected mattress production project and we established a lot of automatic mattress production lines in many parts of the world. We design most appropriately the project of automatic mattress production lines according to the demands from the customers. We sell not only machines we also work together with our customers such as business partners and share our know-how with them. Apart from all these segments, we also produce mattress border machines, roll fabric cutting machines, spacer machines, and spring frame fatigue & grinding machines in line with the demands from the sector. Your company produces machines which have different characteristics; adhesive and bonnel springs machines. What are the advantages of having such a wide product range? Our most important advantage is that we are the unique company who produce full range of the mattress machinery under the same roof. We are able to supply almost %90 mattress production machineries therefore we can prepare “KEY TURN” mattress factory projects. For that reason, today a lot of new companies choose Mert Makina. The profit of our customers is also that they have only one contact person for all mattress production machines. They know each other starting from the request for quotation during the full time of using the machines. Therefore they save their precious and costly time.
What kind of R&D path do you follow when you produce your machinery and automation systems?
Research and development is indispensable for Mert Makina. Our current situation demonstrates our improvement during the last 20 years. Moreover we have a separate R&D department. To concentrate the R&D workings, we located this department separately from the production, within the structure of Mert Makina but in a completely independent area. This independent working area is named as MertTech. Thanks to this R&D team, we are consistently improving our current machines according the requests of our customers and the ever-changing needs of the sector. So we are able to work on innovative products, which are more speed and functional.
What you think about the mattress machines manufactured in Turkey? Could you tell us about developments in the industry?
In the beginning, Turkish manufacturer started with manual machines in small ateliers. These machines which were manufactured based on European machines, have responded to the needs of the sector in that day. That was similar for Mert Makina’s process of development. Even then Kayseri was a manufacturer center of mattress and furniture and in regarding to this requirement, we have started 20 years ago as our first step with manual tape edge machines. At the same period, manual tape edge machine was followed from manual packing machine, some mattress border machines and some supportive machines to the sector. After these sectorial developments, the first mechanical quilting machine was produced by just two companies in Turkey– one of these two improvers was Mert Makina. Since that time, the Turkish machinery manufacturers were hard competitors for the European machinery manufacturers.High prices, uncommunicative attitudes about technical services and supplying spare parts’ difficulties were negative factors, why the Turkish mattress manufacturers decided the domestic machines. The local demand was so high – about to 50 mechanical quilting machine was yearly sold by Mert Makina. That was an important milestone for our growth and our current popularity. Nowadays, you can find our machines nearly in all local mattress manufacturers. The next development was – according the automation trend in the world – about the automatic machines. 10 years ago, Mert Makina interpreted this trend as starting signal and began to manufacture the automatic tape edge machine, automatic packing machine and computerized quilting machines. The first computerized multi needle-quilting machine in Turkey was manufactured 5 years ago by Mert Makina. Observing the mattress sector, Turkey has no more not only a central position for raw materials. Today, Turkey has also for the mattress machinery sector the same title. Thanks to its brands, companies and its perception of quality the Turkish products are demanded from a lot of mattress producers worldwide – from Europe to Africa and from Asia to America.
Why do Turkish machines have popularity in the worldwide mattress production sector?
We have popularity because we combine the advantages of Europeans and Chinese manufacturers. Sure, we can’t still compete with Chinese prices because we don’t compare our machines’ quality with them. Our quality goes head to head with the European’s.That means we are the best choice who combines best quality with reasonable price. You can be sure that all over the World in all mattress factories Turkish machines are in using. Besides our quality and cost advantages, our flexible and wide after sales services are also a sales argument.
Turkey has realized some great success in manufacturing mattress machines. Are there real differences between made in Turkey and other origins of machinery?
As we mentioned before, the manufacturers from Far East are completely focused on low prices, not on quality. Because of this wrong focus, the lifecycle of their machines is shortened. In the opposite of that Turkish manufacturers are focused on quality, so we can give long years warranty thank to raw materials with best quality – all electrical equipment from European and iron steal from Turkey. In addition, qualified workforce is one of the most important factors for our qualified production. On the other side, when we look at the European and American side, we see clearly that the manufacturers decrease their capacity and they have to reduce their R&D budget. We forecast that they haven’t anymore added technical innovations to their machines. This helps us to catch their technical stand. In the meantime, they desire our machines under their private label. Even some of them offer us to sell their brands. We know very well that we have some lack about the automation and machinery design but we will become one of the most important centers of mattress machinery industry latest in 5 years.
What should be done to produce better quality machinery and development of the sector?
First of all, machinery producer should know the needs and requests of the mattress producers. During these efforts, we always aim to get more quality on our machines; these will boost the quality of the mattress and hereby the needs of the mattress producers are answered. One of the most important and also the most costly production factor for mattress producers – actually in the entire sector – is the workforce. We should be aim always to minimize this costly factor. Our target is to produce the machines with more automation and fewer workforce – this effort leads to raise up the performance and achievement of the mattress producers. This means that machine and automation should be designed to make life simpler – to give you the ability to make things faster, better, wide range of specialized equipment in the mattress industry the conditions and requirements of day. In addition to this automation process, we should consider its design and ergonomic in the aesthetic concerns. The offered technical service takes also an important place to improve the sector.
Is there anything you would especially like to mention?
In all over the world, the mattress sector is getting more development. Turkey plays an important role in all this development. Our geopolitical position, high quality of raw materials and components of mattress, flexible technical service mentality make Turkey successful. By these factors, if we spend more effort in differentiation, we will be unique and indispensable in the mattress sector. In this point, the starting point of Sleep Tech magazine in Turkey has a great importance. This magazine contains a lot of Turkish producers of the mattress sector, with their know-how and experience together – so Turkey will be able to get a main position in the world not only by the raw materials but also by the machinery sector. Turkey’s collective target should be the acceptance of “MADE IN TURKEY” labels – the customers should know the quality under these brands.
