19 April 2010, Brescia – Leading Seamless knitting machine
builder Santoni is exhibiting some of its latest technologies at the
forthcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai. The company is unique in that it now
offers both warp and weft knitting options for the production of Seamless garment
knitting. Here is a brief look at the Italian company’s seamless specialization
that has distinguished it.
Established in 1919,
Santoni was the first Italian manufacturer of circular knitting machines for
socks and hosiery. In the 1980's the
company was purchased by the Lonati family, who had also been building hosiery
and socks seamless circular knitting machines since the late 1940’s. By this time Lonati had grown a strong
business and become known globally for its knitting machines in the fields of
seamless hosiery and socks.
Seamless by tradition
and passion
Santoni says: “It can be said therefore, that both by
tradition and passion, Santoni was born to Seamless, grew up with Seamless and
developed Seamless technology.” The company says it was these very qualities
that the Lonati family wanted to nurture when they took over the company and
that their express purpose was to make this machine builder into a specialised
extension of Seamless knitting machinery for all other inner and outer wear as
well as legwear.
“To pioneer this technology, to research and develop it and
to expand it in every possible innovative direction was the core goal of
Santoni. We have kept to our target by
leading the way both technically and commercially in this field of what is now
universally called Seamless Wear. In the
last two and a half decades Santoni has installed thousands of garment seamless
circular machines around the world, covering until now approximately over 90% of
the world’s market of these knitting machine installations,” the company says.
“In 2003-2004 we
began extending our Seamless R&D Department
into the other area of knitting called warp or raschel , so that by June
2008 our first publicly-shown compact warp knitting machine was presented to
the world as a machine conceived specifically to produce Seamless Wear
garments,” Santoni adds.
ITMA ASIA + CITME
In June 2010, the company will exhibit some of its latest
technologies at the ITMA ASIA + CITME show in Shanghai, the leading textile
machinery show for Asia. Santoni will show
especially three of their latest Seamless models which it says, “perfectly illustrate
the distinctive feature of Santoni, namely that we are able to build Seamless knitting
machines in the two great systems of knitting, warp and weft.”
Unique innovations in
Seamless warp knitting and Santoni’s special approach
The SWD 6/2J
Santoni is very aware that its Seamless machine users are
primarily garment manufacturers and by using its experience in knowing their
needs well, the company has integrated many distinctive features which allow
its Seamless warp machine to offer unique performance benefits.
These are, the company says, first and foremost exclusive or
patented innovations. Each knitting bar in the SWD 6/2J for example, has is
highly dynamic and precise linear motor control in both pull and push
movements. The machine incorporates a compact jacquard selection system with
ceramic piezo transducers, each of which is separately interchangeable. Another
important innovation, Santoni says, is the way in which the movement of the
knitting bars is controlled.
Santoni explains:
“This essential innovation is a system of push-pull that gives to the
whole of the knitting bar group, a movement that is both immediate and delicate
so avoiding the peaks and troughs of acceleration and deceleration with
complete power over the masses, even in the inverse phase of the swing. A
complete control and dampening of the machine vibrations also contributes to an
increase in working speed,”
New CAD system
The SWD 6/2J is programmed via a new CAD system which has
been developed in conjunction with Santoni’s sister company Dinema. The system
is said to be both simple and very user friendly and is based on the pictured
image or design of the product to be knitted that can be created on any desk
top or laptop computer. The system is able to realistically show in a
convincing way, using the Preview function, what the product to be knitted will
look like.
Ease of set-up and operation
Santoni says that amongst many other specific features
precisely developed through its special approach as a seamless machine builder,
mechanical adjustments are reduced to the minimum, as all the machine settings
are made on the machine assembly line and need not be touched. Finer or other particular settings are made
on a touch display panel. No keys, or
gauges or other mechanical tools are required, as all operations for the
control of the machine are already on the display panel menu, the company adds.
“The machine has been conceived to be compact and accessible
in every possible way including both the supports for the yarn beams, and the
electronic control that is incorporated inside the machine itself without the
need for any additional cabinets, thus saving space and increasing the
reliability of the performance,” says Santoni, adding: “ This is a textile
machine unit with the most up to date electronics and of course can be
controlled remotely just as if one is standing in front of the machine itself.”
Seamless Circular
Weft Knitting
The SM8- TR1 - Special approach to
casual and sportswear
Moving on to weft knitting, the central feature of Santoni’s
SM8 TR1 is its special knitting needles which have a unique Santoni-patented
collar. Santoni says this allows stitch transfer when knitting mesh or eyelet
stitches giving an extremely secure fabric which has a very even surface
appearance and important breathing capability, which is highly sought after in
sportswear.
“It has the huge advantage of being able to knit these mesh
or eyelet areas in any position on the garment, including diagonally aligned
holes and even extremely small mesh or eyelets,” Santoni says.
“It is also possible to knit plated or double face fabrics using
two different yarns, for example polypropylene yarns on the inner layer and
long staple cotton on the outer layer. Double face sports apparel is extremely
important as you obtain the twin advantages of moisture / perspiration
management and comfort.”
The 8 feed SM8 TR1 is said to be highly productive and
gauges range from 16 to 24. Santoni says the machine also allows the processing
of natural yarns, especially wool, that is increasingly desirable in sportswear.
Redefining sports
apparel
According to Santoni, theSM8 TR1 can make all sorts of
garment types and is especially suited to loose type sportswear in casual
styles. Henry Alphandery summarizes:
“This machine was conceived to redefine sportswear apparel
with its unique possibility of knitting eyelet areas wherever one requires in
the garment; its possibility of producing double fabrics or plating; and its
capability to use natural yarns as well as synthetic ones. These features,
combined with a high productivity, provide unique performance benefits for all
those who are interested in producing sportswear to meet the latest trends and
demands.”
The SM9-MF - Universal circular
Seamless machine
The SM9-MF is a double jersey machine which offers the
possibility of knitting a very wide range of knit structures such as true rib, links-links,
jacquard, stripes, pointelle and eyelet, all with optional incorporated body
rib bands. This gives the possibility, Santoni says, to produce a range of garments
that go from the most luxurious and chic underwear to the smartest and most
versatile trends of outerwear, including daywear and street wear and from
casual to evening wear.
“This is the most complete seamless circular weft machine
that we have recently presented to the world market. It has required us to use our vast experience
and knowledge to create such a competent all-round model,” Santoni says.
The company says it has designed the SM9-MF to knit a wide range
of both man-made fibres as well as all types of natural fibres. The machine is
available in diameters from 14 to 24 inches and in gauges 14 to 20, all with 12
feeds.
According to Santoni the SM9-MF is capable of producing an extraordinary
range of garments types, in a wide range of gauges in a highly productive way. Santoni explains:
“The technical details like the transfer stitches, their
formation control, the upward movements of dial needles, the take down system,
the electronic selection by actuators and the complete user-friendly software,
not forgetting the ease of managing the programs from a normal computer, makes
this machine our latest ‘state of the art’ seamless model. The users of this
machine have at their disposal its many beneficial features to meet
ever-changing fashion trends, and so providing a good return on their machine
investment.”
Santoni says the SM9-MF is ideal machine for both small
mills that need a wide range of specialised items and for larger mills that
need both volume and versatility.
Santoni
Large Diameter Division - Ultra-fine gauge
The Atlas model
Affirming its firm belief in the R&D synergy between
various circular knitting technologies, as with its Large Diameter circular
knitting sector, Santoni is also showing a specially patented model in the ultra-fine
gauge range. The company will exhibit its Atlas single jersey model in 30 inch diameter open width
in 62 gauge.
This Atlas variant has
been designed without sinkers, choosing to use Santoni’s patented ‘under jacks’
that serve the same technical function as the sinkers, but do not get in the
way of the needles during knitting. Santoni
says this produces uniform stitch formation and beautiful fabric feel, whilst using
a less fragile needle for the gauge and also giving a high productivity advantage
to the machine.
Santoni has adopted this patented system in all of its
single jersey ultra fine gauge Large Diameter machines and says, since launching the
innovation, the company has already installed several ultra fine Atlas models
in both Europe and Asia to the great satisfaction of its customers.
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