#Knitting & Hosiery

2019-11-28

KARL MAYER successfully presents Smart Shirt at IDTechEx Show!

Drawing a crowd – Sophia Krinner and the functional warp-knitted textile innovation Smart Shirt at IDTechEx Show! 2019 (c) 2019 Karl Mayer

IDTechEx Show! is a red-letter day for anyone with an interest in new technology. The latest edition of the conference and exhibition even was held on 20 and 21 November 2019 in Santa Clara, USA, and attracted around 3,500 visitors from 60 different countries. Over 270 exhibitors and star speakers from industrial and research backgrounds competed for the guests’ attention on the programme, which included around 270 speeches. The presentations covered all the latest content and issues: energy storage, printed electronics, sensors, the Internet of Things, electro-mobility and wearables.

Pushing the envelope with TEXTILE-CIRCUIT

As an expert partner for the manufacturing of e-textiles, KARL MAYER exhibited at IDTechEx Show! 2019 and gave a presentation on its field of expertise. This was the innovative textile machine manufacturer’s second time at the event, and its staff were very pleased with their positive showing. “The upgrades we’ve made to our 2018 solution allowed us to establish ourselves as a trend-setter when it comes to the direct integration of wires into textiles. This technology just keeps unlocking more and more potential, and there’s a lot of interest in it for practical applications,” said Michael Kieren, Product Manager for New Textile Technologies. Mr Kieren went on to explain that this is a particular important moment to ensure that the company has a presence in the sector, as the textiles industry is providing stiff competition with procedures such as printed electronics.

Integrated conductivity

At IDTechEx Show! 2018, KARL MAYER presented a textile remote control under the name TEXTILE-CIRCUIT. At this year’s event, the renowned manufacturer of textile machines turned up with a smart shirt for measuring vital bodily functions in its suitcase – and much more besides. The sensor monitoring technology for the item of clothing is incorporated directly into the made-to-measure textile during production. The warp knitting machine’s string bar technology allow the manufacturer to adapt the expansion, shape and position of the sensitive areas to suit the requirements of the application at hand. As such, the TEXTILE-CIRCUIT technology offers unrivalled efficiency.

Michael Kieren, Product Developer for Textile Technology Sophia Krinner, and Tony Hooimeijer, President of KARL MAYER North America, enjoyed a thrilling discussion on the innovation, and were delighted to answer questions on the projects that can be jointly developed in the MAKER SPACE at KARL MAYER’s headquarters. Those who came to talk about TEXTILE-CIRCUIT included both big textile companies and customers from the knitwear sector, many of whom were looking to add another string to their bow by setting up an e-textiles segment. “We’ve thrown our hat in the ring and will keep working hard to evolve our TEXTILE-CIRCUIT developments even further,” Sophia Krinner explained. We can’t wait to see what KARL MAYER comes up with for IDTechEx Show! 2020 – or even before!

ITMA 2027 receives strong industry response

ITMA 2027 has unveiled its sector plan, marking progress towards the 2027 edition as planning continues ahead of the show. The ITMA 2027 sector plan covers 12 halls at the Messegelände Hannover venue, spanning over 180,000 square metres, and features 20 sectors of the textile and garment making processes, from spinning to finishing, software and automation, recycling, and fibres, yarns and fabrics.

Heimtextil expands Bed, Bath & Living with new ‘Comfort & Connect’ area

Heimtextil is expanding its product range for Bed, Bath & Living in a targeted manner: ‘Comfort & Connect‘ is creating a new meeting place in the foyer of Hall 5.1 for high-quality bed, bath and lifestyle collections. Following on from ‘Sleep & Meet‘, this is now the second area where Heimtextil is further refining its offering for exhibitors and buyers. The new area brings together established brands, high-profile returning exhibitors and international buyers in a central location with easy access.

Business situation weakens slightly, but the industry stays cautiously optimistic

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published the results of its 39th Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted from 14 to 22 July 2026 among companies along the entire global textile value chain. Worldwide, 10% of participants rated their business situation as good, 53% as satisfactory and 37% as bad — a balance of -26pp, down from -17pp in May but still well above the 2023 lows. All regions are now in negative territory, from South Asia at -3pp to North & Central America at -58pp.

Ministry of Industry Delegation visits NatureWorks’ second global manufacturing site at Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited welcomed a high-level delegation led by Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, to its manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

Indorama Ventures advances circularity tthrough PETValue Philippines' “Zero Waste to Landfill Partnership” with Republic Cement

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, is advancing the circular economy through a new Zero Waste to Landfill initiative at its recycling site PETValue Philippines, further demonstrating how collaboration across industries can maximize resource efficiency and reduce waste.

Networking Day 2026: Industry stakeholders unite around textile recycling

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

Smart textiles reversibly change shape in an energy-efficient manner in response to ambient temperature

Self-actuating textile structures are used in a wide range of applications, such as medical technology, automation, architecture, agriculture, and the apparel industry. An example is the use of shading nets in greenhouses, which can be deployed and retracted depending on the sunlight intensity. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing textiles based on shape-memory polymers with reversibly controllable geometry.