#Knitting & Hosiery

2021-04-01

SHIMA SEIKI releases new design software

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan announces the release of its new “APEXFiz™” subscription?based design software. APEXFiz™ is intended to aid in the digital transformation of the fashion industry.

APEXFiz™ is the latest addition to SHIMA SEIKI’s proven SDS®?ONE APEX series design system lineup, but with an unprecedented twist. Whereas previous APEX?series design systems were offered as an all?in?one proprietary hard?ware/software package, for the first time in its nearly 40 years of design system development, SHIMA SEIKI has released its new APEXFiz™ as subscription?based design software that can be installed on customers’ individual com?puters. Maintaining proven functions that have made the APEX series so popular with fashion designers, with APEXFiz™ those strengths are now enhanced with the added versatility to adapt to different work styles and business environ?ments of the “new normal,” including teleworking and telecommuting. APEXFiz™ is furthermore available in 5 different product variations that can be selected according to the customer’s needs, from APEXFiz™ Design Jr. to APEXFiz™ Design Pro.

APEXFiz™ software supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, real?istic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Otherwise known as “digital twins,” virtual samples are a digitized ver?sion of sample making that allows visual confirmation of garment designs without the need for knitting physical sam?ples. Virtual sampling on APEXFiz™ is also a communication tool that is not only an accurate representation of the product, but it also digitally bridges the gap between the studio and the factory. By sending data to the knit manufac?turer it can be converted to machine programming data, shortening lead times and allowing the production of items faithful to their design as originally intended by the designer. This accuracy allows virtual samples on APEXFiz™ to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that are otherwise wasted. APEXFiz™ thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

APEXFiz™ is supported by two other web services to enhance its user experience. “yarnbank™” is the world’s first online web service for searching and viewing the latest yarns, developed with cooperation from yarn companies from around the world. Registered users can download yarn data for free, for use in fabric simulation and virtual sampling on APEXFiz™, avoiding the need to scan yarn on their own.

By using yarn that is used in actual production, design?ers and apparel companies can furthermore rest assured that the simulations created using yarn from yarnbank™ are not merely realistic images but accurate representations using yarn that can actually be purchased and used in production. “SHIMANAVI™” e?learning system allows APEXFiz™ users to experience online training when and where it is con?venient, and at their own pace, supporting "new normal: work styles. SHIMANAVI features several courses available in different languages to suit the needs of individual customers as well.

APEXFiz™ Details

Product Description:

APEXFiz™ (subscription?based design software)

Software Variations:

APEXFiz™ Design Jr.

APEXFiz™ Design?Standard APEXFiz™ Design?Knit

APEXFiz™ Design?Weave APEXFiz™ Design Pro

Release date: March 2021

https://www.shimaseiki.com/fiz

SDS®-ONE APEX Fiz™ Details

Product Description:

SDS®?ONE APEX Fiz™ Subscription?based design software Software Variations:

Fiz Design Jr.

Fiz Design?Standard

Fiz Design?Knit

Fiz Design?Weave

Fiz Design Pro

Release date: March 2021

https://www.shimaseiki.com/fiz

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Intertextile Shanghai

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition 2025 show in Shanghai, China next month. It will exhibit once again as part of the Digital Solutions Zone which allows visitors various opportunities to partake in the digital revolution that is currently making waves in the apparel industry.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Preview in Seoul

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the 26th edition of Preview in Seoul exhibition in Seoul, Republic of Korea this month, with a lineup of knitting machines and design systems. SHIMA SEIKI will be exhibiting two SWG®091N2 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines in different gauges.

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.

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.

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.

Latest news from Bremen: ICAC Plenary Meeting to take place right before the International Cotton Conference

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) will hold its 83rd Plenary Meeting on 23–24 March 2026 at the Parliament building in Bremen. The meeting will take place immediately ahead of the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen (25–27 March 2026) and marks a historic premiere: for the first time, the ICAC Plenary will be hosted in close cooperation with the Bremen Cotton Exchange and the Faserinstitut Bremen e.V. (FIBRE).

B.I.G. Yarns achieves EcoVadis Platinum Rating, ranking among top 1% of companies worldwide

B.I.G. Yarns, the carpet yarn brand of B.I.G. and a leading manufacturer of polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET) yarns for contract, automotive, and high-end residential applications, has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal, placing the company among the top 1% of more than 130.000 companies assessed globally.

Mimaki upgrades TS330 series for vibrant and seamless dye sublimation printing

The TS330 Series now provides users with an extended colour gamut, offering the flexibility to serve different markets profitably from one solution – from fashion to décor to signage – with improved colour vibrancy, fidelity and accuracy. Mimaki also introduces a larger solution to the TS330 Series, the TS330-1800, able to accommodate single-piece, wide textile fabrics, ideal for larger home décor applications.