#Composites

2022-06-09

KARL MAYER presented sustainable solutions at JEC World

After a three-year break due to corona, the global composites industry came together again for the first time at a JEC World. The leading composites industry event was held in Paris from May 3-5, 2022. It exceeded all expectations in terms of product launches, content, business activities and attendance. In total, more than 32,000 trade visitors from over 115 countries were counted in Paris and on the JEC World Connect digital platform. The online format celebrated its premiere and was offered parallel to the presence event.

Sustainable solutions for composite reinforcements and exhibition premiere for STOLL - KARL MAYER with two highlights at JEC World, 03.-05.05.2022 in Paris

There were 1,201 exhibitors at the exhibition center in Paris. There were 26 pavilions and the launches of 500 new products. With the impressive figures, dynamic networking and lively business activity, JEC World once again confirmed its exposed position in the exhibition landscape of the composites industry. By the end of the event, 50% of the exhibition space for JEC World 2023 had already been booked. The KARL MAYER Group will also be back next year.

This renowned global player celebrated a premiere at this year's trade fair: for the first time, it was represented in Paris by its STOLL Business Unit and thus also had solutions from the flat knitted sector in its trade fair luggage. KARL MAYER Technische Textilien also presented the possibilities offered by its innovative machines for the production of reinforcement textiles. The highlight here was a snowboard made from a scrim produced from flax fibres. Composites made from renewable raw materials were the hit of the show. "Many of the solutions are still in the early stages of large-scale production, but they are an interesting alternative in terms of sustainability," says Hagen Lotzmann. The Sales Manager of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien is satisfied with the results of JEC World 2022. "We met all our important customers and also got into conversation with many new manufacturers. Around a third of all visitors were first-time contacts." Missing, however, were the representatives from the Chinese market. Due to corona-related travel restrictions, they had to stay at home. In addition, the results of the meetings were right. "We had exclusively trade visitors at our booth. We mostly discussed very specific concerns at a high technical level," says Hagen Lotzmann.

KARL MAYER's flat knitting unit also drew a positive conclusion. The presentation in Paris had provided a lot of food for thought and created new opportunities for networking, explained Martin Legner from STOLL Sales. In addition, he said, there was broader input when discussing various topics. Among the possibilities offered by STOLL's flat knitting solutions in the field of technical textiles are the production of shaped articles and low-waste textiles. In addition, various materials, yarns and fibers can be integrated into knitted goods directly on the machine.

Fig.: The stand of the KARL MAYER Group at the JEC (c) 2022 KARL MAYER

More Jacquard. More functionality. More fashion.

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 highlights Taiwan as a strategic hub for the global composites industry

The third edition of JEC Forum organized in Southeast Asia brought together 350+ participants from 22 countries for three active days of high-level Business Meetings, conferences, and networking, emphasizing Southeast Asia’s growing role in the global composites market. Held for the first time in Taipei from 23 to 24 June 2026, following the successful first editions in Bangkok, JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 confirmed its position as the region’s leading business platform dedicated to the composites industry.

MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

MEL Composites is supplying advanced composite materials and process consumables to ELA Aviation for the production of its next-generation gyroplanes. The collaboration underlines MEL Composites’ growing role in advanced aerospace mobility, providing lightweight materials designed to improve aircraft performance, manufacturing efficiency and structural reliability.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.