#Techtextil 2022

2022-07-07

Many visitors and in-depth conversations - Successful Techtextil for the KARL MAYER Group

Karl Mayer booth at Techtextil (c) 2022 Karl Mayer

The KARL MAYER Group draws an extremely positive conclusion after its participation in the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt am Main. From June 21 to 24 2022 the global player presented itself as an innovative partner in the production of high-performance textiles and showed innovative samples and application examples from its warp knitting and flat knitting departments. Apart from the last day, the KARL MAYER stand was well attended throughout.

Most of the guests came from Germany and from the neighboring countries of Switzerland and Austria. Important visitor nations were also India, Turkey, the USA, Italy, Portugal and Korea.

The atmosphere on the KARL MAYER stand was exceptionally good. "The trade visitors were very interested and were looking forward to the exchange after the long Corona break," said Jochen Schmidt. The President of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien and his team held intensive technical discussions about textile solutions for relevant challenges of our time. Topics included sustainable composites made from natural fibers - a snowboard was exhibited for this purpose - and textile products for water treatment, e.g. by filtration or seawater desalination, but also about textiles for higher-quality and more sustainable construction. Here, warp knitted fabrics with weft insertion have already become firmly established.

There was also great interest in solutions from the world of new technologies: in a warp knitted fabric with directly integrated electrically conductive material that can be used for gesture control, and in a sports shirt with 3D printing. The 3D printing process can be integrated inline into series production.

The STOLL team also had their hands full at the KARL MAYER stand. Many existing customers, particularly from the medical, shoe and automotive sectors, had come to find out about the latest flat knitting innovations. In addition, curious visitors looking for new business fields as well as sportswear and fashion brands had a wide range of questions. They all found what they were looking for. STOLL had a wide range of technical knitwear in its trade fair luggage, including form-knitted seat covers, innovative articles for bandage technology and the latest shoe uppers that meet 100% of the required sustainability expectations.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

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.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.