#Knitting & Hosiery
Warp-knitted net curtains bring a touch of chic and elegance to a grey world
+ KARL MAYER’s range of machines for producing net curtains
Window fashions for the coming season in particular feature brightly coloured, glowing, creatively draped in-betweens, open-meshed grid-like nets decorated with sequins, a whole range of yarn constructions, and delicate, sometimes crushed or embroidered voile fabrics featuring attractive structured jacquard net curtains decorated with striking motifs – the result is an elegant look achieved by warp knitting technology, which can make virtually anything possible.
KARL MAYER offers an exceptional range of machines to cater for the comeback of creative, warp-knitted net curtains. As well as offering a high level of productivity, their technical features make them perfect for working fabrics with special optical features. The following article presents a review of KARL MAYER’s raschel machines for the net curtain sector.
The Fascination® Lace
The FL 20/16 was designed to cater for the lingerie sector, but is also ideal for producing attractive net curtains. When working the design, this universal machine operates with all its tried-and-tested features that were incorporated for specific purposes. These include the innovative string bar concept, KAMCOS® for controlling the machine functions with Motion Control in the Single Speed version, servo drives for the pattern and ground guide bars, electronic yarn feed and electronic fabric take-down. With all these features, the Fascination® Lace is ideal for producing delicate fabrics with patterns that resemble embroidery. The warp-knitted fabric features raised pattern yarns lying on the surface, which are incorporated into the transparent grounds by stitches and come together to create design elements with distinct contours. Large-repeat motifs can also be produced by shog paths of up to 170 needles at a gauge of E 24.
Even more attractive patterns can be produced thanks to the range of yarns that can be processed on the Fascination® Lace. For example, crinkle yarns dtex 400-450 KDK produces a voluminous appearance when working the motifs, spin-dyed yarns create bold coloured effects on the textile, whilst yarns with thick and thin spots, such as Linetex®, create structured effects on the ground. Generally speaking, the grounds have a conventional, voile-like structure or a grid-like construction with a subtle pattern.
The Fascination® Lace brings a touch of elegance to the windows and is therefore in high demand, whether it is working asymmetrical checks with broadly hatched contours, relief-like, shimmering leaves scattered across a great expanse of sea, bold, dense ornamental effects, or filigree oval patterns with floral motif spots in curved silhouettes (Pic 2). The many, detailed discussions held about the machine at ITMA 2011 and during Heimtextil 2012 showed that there is a great deal of interest in this machine.
The Jacquardtronic® Lace
Lace patterns will be best-sellers in the coming interior design season. These delicate, usually floral or decorative patterns, are helping the romantic look to make a comeback and, at the same time, the Jacquardtronic® Lace is generating new business.
The transitions from the pronounced structured areas to the smooth, fine, flat areas are smooth and gentle.
The result is flowers with striking contoured edges, which are crossed by coarse veins on a very open ground featuring a range of patterns, filigree clusters of leaves with a dense, delicate mesh look, and airy, floral landscapes in which discreet, three-dimensional contour yarns create structured effects (Pic 1 top).
This wide variety of pattern options is the result of a well-thought-out machine configuration.
The standard version of the JL 29/1 B operates with three ground guide bars – one at the front and two at the back – and with 24 pattern bars in six shog lines and a split jacquard bar. The guide bars, yarn feed and fabric take-down are all electronically controlled. The KAMCOS® system with Motion Control/Multi Speed capability is responsible for controlling all the main machine functions. The JL 29/1 B machine concept is therefore versatile and also has an exceptional price:performance ratio. The Jacquardtronic® Lace is also available in a gauge of E 18 for the net curtain sector.
The RJPC
The RJPC 4 F-NN net curtain jacquard raschel machine is KARL MAYER’s all-round machine for the home textiles sector. This machine can be used to produce a range of styles, from rustic café curtains to bordered types with trendy, all-over patterns, as well as tablecloths and in-betweens. The latest generation of the RJPC also has electronic fabric take-down, electronic control of yarn feed, the KAMCOS® system with Motion Control/Multi Speed facilities and innovative, piezo-controlled needle selection. In combination with three- and four-needle patterning technology, this innovative net curtain jacquard raschel machine with all its equipment can produce a wide variety of net curtains with various, eye-catching fabric grounds. The piezo grounds create a beautiful interplay with the transparent effects. They feature fine-mesh net areas, seemingly completely open structures, almost three-dimensional relief effects, and dense surface effects in a varied interplay with each other, and are produced not with long floats but by a combination of jacquard structures and pillar stitch constructions.
Both light and stable grounds with a woven look can be produced, in which GB 3 lays a weft around the needles for the purpose of stabilisation. The distinctive in-between look (Pic 3), consisting of an opaque curtaining fabric and a slightly transparent, lightweight net curtain, has become the trademark of the RJPC 4 F-NN.
Pic 3: In-between fabric produced on the RJPC
Another speciality of the net curtain jacquard raschel machines is the various tulle grounds they can work. The RJPC 4 F-NN has one stitch-forming and two weft-laying ground guide bars for producing a wide range of grounds. A slight crushed finish combined with a delicate apricot shade also gives the fabric a slightly antique, cotton-like look.
