18 May 2009, Reutlingen – In recent years, leading German
flat knitting machine builder H. Stoll & Co, has achieved much in the quest
to widen the use of knitting machines and in particular flat knitting machines
in technical applications.
Flat knitting machines are mainly used in the apparel sector
for producing knitted outerwear and accessories but Stoll has pioneered the use
of the technology for technical applications. The company has a dedicated sales
and technical team for technical textiles and works closely with customers to
develop new applications.
Martin Legner, Sales Manager, Technical Textile Applications
at Stoll, told KnittingIndustry.com: “Based on the versatile design and shaping
options of flat knitting machines Stoll has used its know-how in machine
building and textile applications to push the technology forward beyond its
standard use in the fashion and apparel business.”
“The chance to combine the strength of fabric shaping along
with stitch techniques generating knit structures allowing to copy technical
fabric characteristics which are known from textile technologies such as
weaving, warp and circular knitting have made flat knitting technology a secret
winner in domains where innovation, complexity and rationalisation have been asked
for” , added Legner.
Stoll CMS flat knitting machines can now be found in wide
ranging applications for medical devices such as orthopaedic and compression
soft goods and for specially engineered upholstery and suspension fabric
solutions used in the furniture industry. In addition Stoll flat knitting
machines are also used for manufacturing a range of wire products and
conductive knits as well as for textile substrates processed in composite
products.
Stoll says that the variety of applications represent the
vast creative options in material and product design. Hardly any other textile
manufacturing process compared to the Stoll flat knitting technique allows the
combination of complex built-up shapes with functionally or optically
orientated design of the fabric by the use of specifically required materials,
the company says.
During the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Stoll will
exhibit a range of designs and possibilities in technical knit applications and
offer customers and interested parties a platform for obtaining news and trends
information.
Download Stoll technical textiles brochure
