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.