#INDIA ITME 2022

2023-01-19

Trade show success in growth market

INDIA ITME Booth - The KARL MAYER GROUP draws a positive conclusion after INDIA ITME 2022 © 2023 KARL MAYER

The KARL MAYER GROUP looks back on a successful participation in the INDIA ITME in December 2022. The global player went to the leading trade fair in one of its most important market regions with great expectations, and was not disappointed. Almost 1,100 discussions with existing customers and new interested parties were logged.

"We have met many of our customers so far. The first day was still quiet but on the second and third day of the fair many, many more customers came to our stand. We are actually very satisfied with the fair," said Kevin Socha, Managing Director of KARL MAYER (H.K.) Ltd. towards the end of the event. The verdict on the quality of the conversations was also positive. The many exchanges mainly concerned specific questions about machines, textiles and applications.

India is an important market for the KARL MAYER GROUP. The company's exhibition took this importance into account.

Visitors with focused interests

Most visitors were interested in a textile and fashion show where everything revolved around the topics of comfort, sustainability and new market potential. There was inspiration not only for knitters but also for weavers. Highlights included terry items that can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way than their woven counterparts using warp knitting technology, smart garments made from comfortable 4 -way stretch with a woven-fabric-like look that can also be produced in a more sustainable, cost-effective and efficient way, and innovative athletic outfits, including leggings made from power jersey with the excellent stretch characteristics provided by a twill stitch, shorts made from a lightweight and breathable mesh knit and plain jersey goods. Many of the warp knitted fabrics are created on high-performance digital generation tricot machines. The models work with cloud-based digital solutions from KM.ON to offer customers greater efficiency in management and designs, among other things.

The ISOWARP exhibited on the KARL MAYER stand was also closely surrounded. The sectional warping machine is manufactured with the high quality of the KARL MAYER GROUP at the company's own production site in Ahmedabad. Customers benefit from the advantages of on-site production and excellent value for money. The ISOWARP manufactures quality beams that enable maximum efficiency in the weaving mill and can be easily operated by personnel with only basic knowledge. At the same time this means low total cost for the investor.

The BMS 52 ki multi gauge E 3,5.2 on show was a magnet for visitors from the flat knitting sector. This attractively priced, high-performance model is predestined for entry into the STOLL world and primarily produces fully fashion and cut & sew articles for the mass market. However, many inquiries were also received about the second STOLL machine at the trade show: the CMS 503 ki multi gauge E 7.2. This representative of the proven CMS series expands STOLL's highly productive Economic range, takes into account the price sensitivity of Indian customers and impresses with its flexibility.

ISOWARP overall operator view © 2023 KARL MAYER

The KARL MAYER Group's Care Solutions offerings were also the subject of numerous discussions. In particular, the regional expansion of the tried-and-tested KARL MAYER WEBSHOP for the Warp Preparation Business Unit was very well received. Customers in India can now order spare parts for their warp preparation machines at the click of a mouse.

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.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s December 2025 plastics package.