Just under 1,500 visitors with specific issues to talk about were greeted on this modern, inviting stand. On top of these were specialists in search of orientation and people with a general interest. The visitor statistics had a pronounced international flavour. The list of the main countries from which the visitors came was headed by India, followed by Italy, Turkey, the USA, Germany and China.

With its presentation, KARL MAYER had the entire textile value added chain clearly in its sights – from production, through the fabric, to its applications. It was showing innovative machines for warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles, solutions for networking machines and the digital world, as well as exciting fabrics and - in an impressive world of experiences – examples of applications with a high market potential. In addition, working responsibly with the environment was an important theme that received a great deal of attention on KARL MAYER’s stand. “We are illustrating the implementation of our key strategic topics of ‘sustainability and the environment’ on various islands at the fair, from energy-efficient machines, through processing yarns with the emphasis on conserving resources, to sustainable warp-knitted textiles and end-use concepts. One of the highlights is undoubtedly our new machine innovation for processing sustainable denim,” the CEO of KARL MAYER, Arno Gärtner, went on to say when speaking at the fair.

Using digitisation systems for warp knitting machines and tapping into new markets

KARL MAYER is combining machine technology with digitisation and this is exactly the right thing to do. “Once again, it became clear from the ITMA fair in Barcelona that the sector is focusing on digital solutions when it comes to process optimisation and customer orientation. That is why we are delighted to receive such excellent feedback on the new systems within our software start-up, KM.ON,” said Arno Gärtner at ITMA.

Two machines with digital features were being premiered in Barcelona. The HKS 3-M-ON can be linked directly to the KM.ON cloud via the k.ey system, which enables the lapping data required to be loaded directly onto the machine.

The RSJ 4/1 ON uses the potential of the KM.ON product group, k.innovation, to optimally support virtual textile development, which is quite usual these days. Therefore, k.innovation delivers much more than just patterning software. “Many of our visitors were particularly impressed by our networked machines and the new possibilities offered by collaborative product development with k.innovation, in conjunction with the RSJ 4/1 ON,” said Oliver Mathews, the Sales Manager of KARL MAYER’s Warp Knitting Business Unit. “The fair went well and we had more than 700 high-quality conversations. We also laid the foundations for many sales contracts and initiated some interesting new projects.” The newly configured RDPJ 6/2 EL also contributed to the excellent feedback, together with its exceptional range of 4D-KNIT products. The textiles produced on this double-bar raschel machine feature a wide range of pronounced, three-dimensional designs on the outer sides, but can also  feature openwork patterns, which gives them an advantage over their circular weft-knitted competitors. “News of our new development quickly spread around the fair. Even yarn producers had heard about the 4D-KNIT articles and came to learn more about them on our stand,” says Kay Hilbert. This Head of Product Portfolio Management and his team discussed many promising projects with the visitors. Some of the visitors seemed very keen to invest, and they discussed ideas for new applications.

Ideas and inspiration for using warp-knitted textiles with well-thought-out designs were being demonstrated to the ITMA visitors under the slogan of the “Future of Textiles”. “The applications on show were picking up textile producers, brands and processors from the places where they do business: in the development of new innovations and efficient production,” says Oliver Mathews.

KARL MAYER’s presentation struck gold here.

The “Future of Textiles” area was always surrounded by crowds of people, and many conversations were held on the products being showcased. According to Oliver Mathews, the focus was on the possibilities of substituting woven fabrics with warp-knitted fabrics to minimise costs and environmental loads, and the subject of E-textiles. Extensive development work is being carried out at KARL MAYER into the electrical conductivity of warp-knitted textiles. In the project entitled, TEXTILE CIRCUIT, string bar technology is being used to incorporate electrically conductive yarns directly at any location into the fabric.

The display of applications was also showcasing some exceptional product developments, which are both stylish and functional and can be made-up with little outlay. These include well-thought-out systems for comfortable bras with few seams, a sporty body providing shape and support and made from a new type of power lace, and a swimsuit with a lace look.

An innovative new machine for the composites sector and well-thought-out textile solutions for the construction sector

The new machine, SIM.PLY, proved to be a real magnet for the public in the field of technical textiles. This innovation produces thermoplastic, unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) using fibre spreading technology. Its products – premium tapes with precisely aligned, continuous fibres – are suitable for use in highly stressed, fibre-reinforced, lightweight structures, which are a rapid growth area. The thermoplastic matrix is also easy to process, which makes mass production feasible. The SIM.PLY products feature an impressive, high quality and excellent mechanical properties. The grammages of the spread tape, as well as the impregnated tape, are also uniform, and the fibre volume content is high. The production efficiency is also excellent, thanks to the continuous spreading and impregnating sequences. This line has far exceeded the expectations of KARL MAYER in relation to visitor feedback. “Both our existing customers involved in the lightweight construction, automotive and transport fields, as well as new, interested people from the sports sector, for example, were very interested in this new technology. We had many specific enquiries from our customers at the fair, who were interested in carrying out trials in our Applications Centre in Chemnitz,” says Hagen Lotzmann, the Sales Manager of the Technical Textiles Business Unit.