#Knitting & Hosiery

2019-08-31

Producing the next generation of tricot fabrics – with ON drive

KARL MAYER launched the new HKS 3-M-ON at ITMA 2019, the first three-bar HKS machine with electronic guide bar control, which is linked to the digital world of KM.ON. This market leader has scored a direct hit with this machine. The HKS 3-M-ON impressed the visitors in Barcelona with its new flexibility and exceptional ease of handling when changing the pattern, and also by its high production rate.

The HKS 3-M-ON, with electronic pattern drive and digital systems, was premiered at ITMA 2019

This new machine can reach a maximum speed of 2,900 min-1, depending on the working width. This makes it the fastest, high-speed tricot machine with electronic pattern drive that has ever been built. It is also just as fast as the current HKS 3-M model with N-drive, but it is also much more flexible.

Patterning at the highest level of flexibility

A wide range of patterns can be produced and changed quickly on the new HKS 3-M-ON. It is simply a question of ordering the required lapping from KARL MAYER’s WEBSHOP SPARE PARTS and loading the data to suit the guide bars from the company’s own cloud directly onto the machine – and work on the new article can be started immediately. Selected lappings from a pre-defined list are available to download free of charge when working one of the first patterns on a newly acquired machine. KM.ON’s industry computer, k.ey, is responsible for securely linking the HKS 3-M-ON machine to the KM.ON cloud, thus providing access to KARL MAYER’s digital world. Thanks to the electronic guide bar control facility, there is no need to make any mechanical modifications when changing the article, which used to be the case with the previous HKS 3-M version. This means that any repeat can be worked, without any tempi change. Kay Hilbert, the Head of Product Portfolio Management at KARL MAYER, says that the visitors were particularly impressed by this simple pattern change system, which does not require any mechanical intervention. “Many of our customers are faced with a change of generation amongst their staff.

Young people are computer-savvy, but people with specialist knowledge of the mechanical systems are hard to find.” Additionally, the ON drive eliminates the costs of buying, handling and storing pattern discs. With all the new possibilities offered by the HKS 3-M-ON, customers can reduce pattern-related stoppages considerably, increase productivity greatly, and react quickly to changing market demands. This innovative, high-speed tricot machine also delivers additional benefits, thanks to the new main drive system. The main shaft is now moved directly by the associated main motor. This system, together with the electronic guide bar drive, eliminates the need for wear-prone drive belts, and this has a positive effect on maintenance costs. Noise levels have also been reduced.

Sales launch in 2020

The new HKS 3-M-ON will be available in gauges E 28 and E 32 and in the working widths of 130", 180", 210", 238" and 280". Its wide range of features is opening up many possible end-uses for this three-bar HKS machine, which will be available as of 2020. The HKS 3-M-ON will go into production in the first quarter of next year.

New business momentum for the Turkish warp knitting industry

Warp knitting companies can look forward to new opportunities for their business development when they visit the KARL MAYER stand at ITM. At the important trade fair in Istanbul, the industry leader will be presenting selected solutions to support customers in a market that is as important as it is difficult. The focus will be on flexibility and speed.

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.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

TM WEFT, 270" – More width, more design freedom for the fashion world

KARL MAYER is expanding its successful TM WEFT series with an innovative model that opens up new possibilities, particularly in the fashion & apparel sectors. With a working width of 270", this new machine with weft-insertion not only offers significantly higher output than its narrower counterparts but is also specifically tailored to the demands of dynamic clothing market – particularly in China and Türkiye. A well-thought-out upgrade also ensures even greater design versatility.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.