#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.

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.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

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Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 closes doors, advancing sustainable and innovative sourcing in South China

Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026 served as a strategically positioned mid-year sourcing platform for the Greater Bay Area, highlighting Shenzhen’s role in connecting regional demand, supply and innovation exchange across the textile value chain. During the three-day fair, over 20,000 visits were drawn from 74 countries and regions[1], as exhibitors and buyers engaged with new developments in greener, performance-led, and value-added yarn and fibre solutions. Held in conjunction with Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and PH Value, the fair underscored the benefits of closer synergy and new materials across yarn, fabric and apparel platforms for the South China market.