#Weaving

2024-11-28

Innovations for warp preparation at the cutting edge

At ITMA ASIA + CITME in October, KARL MAYER presented solutions for lower production costs and environmental impact and greater efficiency in the warp preparation sector. After the trade fair, the company can draw a positive conclusion, both in terms of the number of visitors and the quality of the discussions.

The KARL MAYER Warp Preparation Business Unit draws a positive conclusion after ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 © 2024 KARL MAYER

In addition, the overall presentation was right on target. As at every ITMA, the KARL MAYER stand was a meeting point for the industry. “In a market that is increasingly characterised by Chinese competitors and price pressure, we have demonstrated our strong presence,” says Dieter Gager. The Vice President Sales & Marketing at KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation Business Unit and his team negotiated numerous projects and discussed upcoming investments in the course of the trade fair. Many manufacturers want to expand or modernise and are gathering information, but are waiting for a recovery in global demand, according to Dieter Gager's assessment. When the market picks up, they will benefit from their knowledge of the innovations presented at the trade fair.

One of the highlights was the WARPDIRECT, a latest-generation warping machine with an excellent price-performance ratio. The possible warping speed is an unbeatable 1,200 m/min. The quality of the beams produced is also unrivalled. Thanks to the high level of quality, yarn waste can be saved during the sizing process and the efficiency of the downstream weaving process can be maximised. Other advantages include high operational reliability and less maintenance work. With this performance, the WARPDIRECT attracted the attention of trade fair visitors from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries neighbouring China.

Visitors were also interested in two innovative solutions for sizing with advantages when using the PROSIZE®.

The brand new CASCADE system reduces steam consumption by up to 7% thanks to intelligent steam recycling within the machine. This enables significant savings in energy costs and CO2 equivalents over the entire utilisation cycle of the machine and not as a one-off effect.

The second innovation in the group of novelties relating to sizing is the Smart Size Box. This sophisticated technology uses sensors and digital solutions to monitor the condition of wear components, making a valuable contribution to predictive maintenance. The customer can plan interruptions due to maintenance work in advance, avoid uncalculated downtimes and fully utilise the performance potential of the PROSIZE®.

The highly efficient sizing machine operates at a speed of 160 m/min, with 200 m/min possible as an option. With a yarn cover factor of up to 100 % - 20 % more than conventional systems - a high sizing quality is achieved and the range of applications is extended.

The feedback at the trade fair on the Size Box with the big plus in customer benefits was encouraging. “By focusing our development activities on maximum machine availability and digital solutions, we have hit the nerve of the times,” says Dieter Gager.

To ensure high machine availability, a combined Care X-Tend and Connectivity package was also presented at the trade fair. Among other things, the package provides easy access to fast remote assistance. Unlike conventional teleservice support, images and large amounts of data can now be exchanged easily and securely, minimising interruptions to operations.

Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

Nowadays textile companies increasingly need to produce small production runs and respond to market changes with instantaneous pattern changes in order to operate profitably – meaning they require machines that offer maximum flexibility, reliability and cost efficiency. KARL MAYER understands the challenges of the market and is launching its new RE 6 EL. The Raschel machine offers the core strengths of the classic RSE 6 EL and essentially the same performance parameters, but has been further cost-optimised largely due to local production advantages. This makes the newcomer an efficiency champion in production, especially when it comes to frequent pattern changes.

The newcomers HKS 3-M EL ECO and HKS 4-M EL ECO set new standards in the tricot market

Short development cycles, frequent pattern changes, and maximum efficiency – even with small batch sizes: Today's global fashion and apparel market demands more flexibility than ever before. High-performance warp knitting machines with compound needles (HKS) and EL pattern drive are KARL MAYER's answer to this challenge.

KARL MAYER celebrates 35 years of EL pattern drive

KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.

Groz-Beckert showcases textile innovation at ShanghaiTex 2025

From December 16 to 19, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ShanghaiTex at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its five product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall N3, Booth A05.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.