#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.

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.

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.

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.

MUNICH FABRIC START: Between Attitude and Sensuality

The future begins where we reimagine it. After seasons of restraint, Spring.Summer 27 marks a conscious counter-trend: optimism, sensuality, and creative freedom are replacing pragmatism and neutrality. Physical presence and individuality are regaining importance – as a response to uncertainty, exhaustion, and algorithmic predictability. The overarching theme of PLEASURE stands for fashion as an emotional space, as an expression of attitude and cultural reflection. Colours, surfaces, and materials become vehicles for self-confidence and joie de vivre.

organIQ seek: smart alternative to potassium permanganate

CHT Group announces new technical findings within its organIQ seek platform that significantly advance the transition toward permanganate-free denim bleaching. Through extensive industrial testing and application research, CHT confirms that organIQ seek can now be used with remarkable effectiveness as a substitute for potassium permanganate in spray bleach, while remaining aligned with sustainability expectations and cost realities in the European market. At the COLOMBIATEX in Medellín as well as at the Exintex in Puebla and the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam the CHT Group will present organIQ seek as an alternative to potassium permanganate.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.