#Knitting & Hosiery

2021-04-14

Seizing opportunities in the crisis

The weaving mill in Pakistan is expanding and investing in machinery including KARL MAYER’s PROSIZE® and WARPDIRECT®

Pakistan’s economy was another to be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but the textile and garment industry quickly showed signs of recovery.

“Things have been going crazy in Pakistan for some time now,” says Dieter Gager, Vice President Sales and Marketing at KARL MAYER’s Business Unit Warp Preparation. In particular, the PROSIZE® sizing machine combined with the WARPDIRECT® beam warping machine of the well-known global player is proving to be a bestseller: the order volume for these high-tech models was already considerable in 2020, but was surpassed once again at the beginning of this year.

Highest warp beam quality for maximum efficiency in the weaving mill

Most machines are destined for the textile strongholds of Karachi and Lahore, which are currently benefiting from a boom in high-end household textiles. Bed linen and terry towels from Pakistan are in great demand both in the domestic market and abroad. The latest generation weaving machines is used for the production of diverse articles, which require warp beams of the highest quality for their full performance.

This is where the PROSIZE® and the WARPDIRECT® come into play: the beam warping machine ensures same warping length for all warp beams, uniform thread tensions and an even winding structure. The sizing machine that follows in the process applies the sizing to the threads absolutely homogeneously and without affecting the elasticity, and requires very little water and very few chemicals to do so. In addition, the price-performance ratio of KARL MAYER’s products is just right. “Customers quickly realise that they can significantly increase the efficiency of their process chain with our models,” says Senior Sales Manager Peter Obrist following a business trip. In order to support his clients with their investment projects not only by telephone and video conference, he visited numerous clients in Pakistan at the end of last year – of course in full compliance with the strictest coronavirus safety requirements.

KARL MAYER opens a new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTRE – a new era of textile innovation begins

KARL MAYER is opening its new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTRE (TIC), sending a strong signal that it is driving textile innovation forward and opening up new perspectives for the textile industry. The TIC brings together the latest developments in Warp Knitting, Technical Textiles and Warp Preparation – KARL MAYER’s core areas of expertise.

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.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at GMMSA Expo India

Leading Japanese computerized flat knitting technologist SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Indian sales representative Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services, Ltd., will participate in the upcoming Garments Machinery Manufacturers & Suppliers Association (GMMSA) Expo India 2026 exhibition to be held in Ludhiana, India next month. Through its lineup at GMMSA, SHIMA SEIKI aims to further strengthen its presence within the Indian market with an exhibit that caters to diverse needs, consisting of seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology as well as a brand-new shaping machine with high productivity and excellent cost performance.

Terrot introduces T-Frame platform to redefine stability and flexibility in large-diameter circular knitting

Terrot Textilmaschinen GmbH has unveiled the new T-Frame, a universal machine frame platform for large-diameter circular knitting machines. Designed to meet growing demands for flexibility, stability, and operational safety, the T-Frame provides a next-generation foundation for both current and future industrial knitting machines, combining German engineering expertise with a modular, future-ready design approach.

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.

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.

Perfect quality through collaboration: Machinery from Trützschler, Toyota and Murata at Zirve Tekstil

In today’s textile industry, excellence is not achieved by chance – it’s the result of deliberate decisions, technical expertise, and the courage to go beyond conventional paths. The Turkish company Zirve Tekstil has done just that: by combining the best technologies from Trützschler, Toyota and Murata, they’ve created a production setup that delivers outstanding yarn quality – recognized worldwide.

Engineering depth and diversity for composites

Airbond is the latest member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to receive recognition for contributions to the composites industry. The engineering firm based in Pontypool, South Wales, has just received the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for its Lattice 3D Printing project.

Award-winning research for sustainable carbon fibre cycles

Sustainable recycling of carbon fibres is possible through targeted electrochemical surface modification, which makes the sizing of carbon fibres resistant to solvolysis. ITA PhD student Sabina Dann was awarded the MSW Award from RWTH Aachen University for her master's thesis on this development. The award ceremony took place on 12 November 2025 in Aachen.