The KARL MAYER Group, a world leader in the production of warp knitting machines and warp preparation machinery, exports more than 70% of its entire production to Asia, especially to the country located at the centre of this continent.

19 May 2008, Obertshausen, Germany - This is the reason why this world-renowned company has even increased its involvement in China, opening on 26. July a new production location for its local subsidiary, KARL MAYER (CHINA) Ltd., in Changzhou, with extended and modern capacities.

Besides, KARL MAYER will also participate in this year’s ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition in Shanghai, exhibiting on an area of 425 m2 in hall E4, stand D12.

Warp knits and specials

The KARL MAYER Group has been involved with the Asian market for several decades and knows exactly what this market requires. Companies likely to be the most successful are those which are able to supply ranges that are tailor-made to meet customer requirements and which have the right machine to suit every price range and every production logistics system.

KARL MAYER’s response to continuing segmentation is to offer a dual product line, which was unveiled at the ITMA fair in Munich and which has been continuously expanded since then. The key feature of this range is to offer products in two fundamental versions, each having a specific price/performance ratio. On the one hand, these range from basic machines equipped with the tried-and-tested magnesium bars for a reasonable starting price, to high-speed machines with CFRP technology, on the other hand.

At ITMA ASIA + CITME, KARL MAYER will be showing the latest developments forming an integral part of this new strategy, including a high-speed tricot machine equipped with bars made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.

The first two models featuring CFRP technology were ready to go into mass production in time for ITMA 2007. Since then, a large number of orders has been placed for these machines.

KARL MAYER will be exhibiting a new model at ITMA in Shanghai, with the aim of also showing customers in Asia how the machine speed can be increased by using this stable, lightweight, temperature-resistant material.

Highlights of the machine show include a demonstration of how the speed can be increased by as much as 25 % by using these types of bars, which are more lightweight yet extremely stable. The machine can also be operated without any problems, even when there are marked fluctuations in the ambient temperature. This highly efficient machine can operate within an extended temperature window of +/- 2°C to +/- 5°C and is less affected by the ambient temperature than similar products having a conventional design. There is no restriction on the speed, the machine operates with its usual level of precision, and there is no need to adjust the needle tool or reduce the speed ”“ when the machine has been stopped for a long time, for example.

KARL MAYER can thus offer state-of-the-art production technology, which can cater flexibly and efficiently for a wide range of commercial segments, and which meets the requirements of leading manufacturers.

Simultaneously with its exhibition stand at ITMA, KARL MAYER will also be showing its machinery at the in-house exhibition held at its subsidiary in China. This exhibition will welcome its first guests during the opening of KARL MAYER (CHINA) Ltd’s new facility in Changzhou on 26 July 2008, and will then be a permanent fixture which can be visited at any time.

Highlights during the in-house exhibition: machine type HKS 2-3 E in CFRP execution, which had already caused a sensation during ITMA in Munich, operating at rotational speeds of up to 4000 min-1, as well as machine type TM 2 ”“ a new basic machine from the TM series.

Lace and curtain

Lace and lingerie manufacturers will surely be impressed with the features of the new Textronic® Lace and Rascheltronic® machine series, which mean that they are faster, more flexible and even more user-friendly than comparable machines available on the market.

The new TL 43/1/24 specialises in the production of high-quality relief lace and has a unique, impressive performance profile. Speeds of up to 600 min-1 have increased productivity by roughly 20% compared to the existing TL 31/1/24 available on the market. The number of pattern bars behind the fall plate has been increased from two to 14 strings, giving the designer more scope when creating patterns.

The versatility of the machine, shog paths of up to 170 needles and the possibility of being able to process every type of yarn currently available have paved the way for the TL 43/1/24 to become a leader on the Textronic® lace market. Despite all its creative features, the TL 43/1/24 is not a complicated machine.

Besides, KARL MAYER will be presenting a new member of the Rascheltronic® family at ITMA ASIA + CITME, the RSJ 5/1 EL. This high-speed, jacquard raschel machine offers new features in terms of flexibility, and the high machine speeds of up to 1,100 min-1 are in no way detrimental to the machine’s usual high rate of efficiency.

The key innovative features in terms of versatility and flexibility include the new electronic guide bar control facility (EL), together with the tried-and-tested piezo jacquard system. In addition to being able to produce stretch and non-stretch lingerie fabrics, tulle and sports fabrics, this combination of features also enables products having integrated functions to be produced. The topography of the elastic segments is determined by the functions of the clothing and produced by ground guide bars GB 5 and GB 6 with maximum shog paths of 170 needles, together with the new EL system.

The new RSJ 5/1 EL machine makes another contribution to the concept of using knitted fabrics for supporting and uplifting the body in the shape of the MultiSpeed sequential yarn feed system at every warp beam position. Feeding the correct amount of yarn required to the knitting elements makes it possible to work different stitch densities with different stretch values into the product. The final bands can also be incorporated directly into the fabric web.

To ensure that the Rascheltronic® machine can be operated using just a few simple manoeuvres, the well-thought-out design is based on the concept of optimum ergonomics and clarity, and its main features include electronic fabric take-up and electronic batching, a clever arrangement of the operating elements, and the Operator Interface in particular.

The results of optimising the handling logistics include quick lapping change and rapid setting-up times. The production of even small batches can be carried out extremely efficiently, and the time required for developing new and innovative textiles can also be reduced.

Warp preparation

KARL MAYER’s warp preparation section will also be exhibiting at ITMA. Experienced technologists will be on hand to provide information on the products but, above all, this section will be unveiling its new organisational structure. The recently acquired companies, Sucker and Ira L. Griffin, have expanded KARL MAYER’s range of warp preparation products and resulted in the company taking a new direction on the market.

In future, the machines and products produced by KARL MAYER, KARL MAYER Rotal, Sucker and Ira L. Griffin will all be combined under the same roof under two trade names. In future, the warp preparation machines produced by this traditional manufacturer will carry the quality labels, ‘KARL MAYER’ or ‘KARL MAYER RotalSucker’ and will be incorporated into an integrated use-specific, product range ”“ a ‘one-stop shop’ catering for one market.

Technical support for this extensive range of branded products is underpinned by the high level of quality and efficiency provided by the parent company ”“ from production, through sales and marketing, to customer support. Workers at the company headquarters in Obertshausen are responsible for selling and marketing the entire range of products worldwide, whilst customer support will be in the hands of the tried-and-tested service network operated by the KARL MAYER Group all over the world.

KARL MAYER Malimo

KARL MAYER Malimo will be exhibiting in Shanghai as the specialist in technical textiles within the KARL MAYER Group, and highly experienced workers will be on hand to provide information on the range of products available.

KARL MAYER’s warp knitting machines with parallel or multiaxial weft insertion and for bonding or combining nonwovens have an extensive profile of features and are becoming increasingly well-established in Asia, especially among Chinese manufacturers. In the past year, high-speed warp knitting machines with weft insertion facility have been in particular demand among interlining manufacturers.

Raschel machines with weft insertion facility are proving to be a real bestseller in China. Manufacturers here are particularly keen on the RS 3 MSUS G and the RS 3 MSUS V (Fig. 5) for producing modern, warp-knitted geogrids and reinforced geo-nonwovens, a building material that is in high demand for use in the many infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in China.

Another topic which KARL MAYER Malimo will be focusing on at ITMA ASIA + CITME is glass-fibre-reinforced composites for the wind turbine sector and boat building.

Once again, KARL MAYER Malimo will be exhibiting highly efficient production machines to cater for specific markets at this year’s ITMA fair.

Teleservice

The concept of service is an integral part of KARL MAYER’s range of products and services and will, therefore, be covered in some detail at ITMA ASIA + CITME.

A key element in the range of innovative customer services being shown is the most recent development that has been incorporated into the Teleservice system. This traditional manufacturer developed an expanded version of the Teleservice software for the ITMA 2007 exhibition, which has been available since April for every new KAMCOS® machine having an external network interface.

This new upgrade enables service requests to be sent directly from the Operator Interface at the machine, i.e. from where the operator has an unrestricted view of the plant. A ‘conference centre’ has been integrated into the Teleservice system, which makes it possible to hold a two-way conversation directly from the machine using a headset. In addition to the existing image and text conferencing system, this will enable an almost closed question/response dialogue to be implemented.

The ‘i-boro’ is a new tool for use in optimising remote diagnosis. It was unveiled at the ITMA exhibition in Munich and will now be presented to the Asian market. The helmet provides an unrestricted view and consists of a VCD headset (Voice Camera Display). It features a high-resolution, auto-focusing zoom camera and enables a system of two-way voice and moving-image communication to be established between the staff in the plant and a technical support specialist at a central location. The specialist uses this ‘borrowed eye’, together with information supplied by the Teleservice analysis, for example, to get an idea of what is happening in the client’s plant. He can then tell the operative at the machine what to do and can ‘look over his