The largest Latin-American textile industry exhibition is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is preparing for its biggest ever show. From 10 to 13 August, 2010 Blumenau in Brazil’s Santa Catarina State will host Febratex 2010, which brings together the best in textile machinery, equipment and raw materials.

With over 82,000 thousand visitors during a four-day period, Febratex 2008 was considered a great success with a significant number of deals reportedly being done and sales of US$750 million allegedly being achieved. Organisers say that the exhibition is becoming increasingly globalized with 1700 brands from 57 countries taking part in the last event. 97% of space has already been booked.

German circular knitting machine builder Terrot will be exhibiting at Febratex 2010 along with its Brazilian partner Erdeck Representações Ltda and will show two machine models, the S296-1 single jersey machine and S4F348 single jersey striper.

S296-1

Terrot says the S296-1 offers the best price-performance ratio in high speed single-jersey for perfect elastane plaiting. The machine to be shown at Febratex will be a four track 102 feed, 32 inch diameter machine in gauge E38, producing single jersey fabric.

Improvements over previous versions include more secure plaiting and increased productivity in daily use. Fabric quality and economic efficiency have also been improved due to further development in the yarn carrier area and in the needle curves of the S296-1 knitting head.

Other developments include improved separation in the area of yarn feeding and optimisation of the yarn angle in the ground thread and plaiting carrier; reduction of contamination of yarn carriers, particularly whilst plaiting of spun yarns in combination with elastane; positive needle guidance in all areas of cam curve, in particular in the area between segment to segment, which Terrot says results in higher machine speeds with precise needle movement.

The S296-1 also has new sinker and cylinder cams with improved curves with double sinker guidance which are said to guarantee less needle and sinker wear and enhance fabric appearance. Yarn feeders in solid black ceramic have also been incorporated which are said to ensure less friction between elastane fibres and yarn feeders while preventing fluff accumulation.

Application areas for the S296-1 are fashion outerwear and underwear and the following fabric structure and knitting techniques are possible: plain single-jersey, single structures, elastane plaiting,                                   2-thread fleece, and piqué and tuck structures.

S4F348

The S4F348 model on show at the Brazilan show will be a three track, 48 feed, 34 inch diameter machine in gauge E28 which will knit striped single jersey fabric at speeds of up to 28 rpm or 32 rpm with Terrot’s speed up function.

S4F348 machine features

Terrot says that the S4F348 combines the traditional attributes of functional safety and outstanding reliability with further improved Terrot striper technology. The benefit, it says, is maximum processing variety with nearly unlimited pattern and colour possibilities, especially for sensitive yarns, due to the combination of the Terrot Striper System with different kinds of structure techniques. By using its multi-colour technology, Terrot says it is possible to process up to 8 colours in a single length of fabric.

The company says that unsurpassed versatility includes the processing of even the most sensitive yarns. Besides the standard yarns such as cotton, the S4F348 can reliably process acetate, core spun yarns, Modal, polyester filament, polyamide and viscose. Yarn change is effected with one lay-in finger for every colour yarn. Each yarn lay-in finger is equipped with a combined clamping device as well as a cutting device which Terrot says guarantees very precise clamping and cutting of the yarns. The company adds that, unlike its competitors, with this striper technology its machines are able to process all yarn qualities, particularly for striped fabric in line with the current trends.

Economic production

The S4F348 has a redesigned cylinder and sinker cam curves which permit safer production at an increased speed factor of 840 (S4F348/6F348). The machine also encompasses an economic production feature in its computer controlled ‘Terrot-speed-up-function’, whereby the machine speed increases by 20% while knitting large sequences in a single, thereby increasing productivity flexibility and versatility.

In addition, Terrot says the machine’s 2-slot yarn carrier is perfectly guided and guarantees excellent Spandex and Mesh plating. It also says that the S4F348 is easy to handle and new pattern information can be created by transmitting the colour sequence by USB memory stick. Simple and quick adjustment of colour sequences can be carried out by inputting the data via the terminal keypad.

Application areas for the S4F348 are outerwear and sports and leisure wear and the following fabric structure and knitting techniques are possible:

Striper pattern/ colour change striper, plain single jersey, elastane plaiting single structures, 2-thread fleece, piqué and tuck structures.

“Perfect circular knitting technology combined with the finest Terrot knitted fabrics is the culmination of well developed machine engineering designed to sharpen the competitive edge of our international customer base,” says Uta Barthel, Terrot’s Marketing & Communication Manager.

“The Terrot brand stands for quality and top performance in the construction of electronically and mechanically controlled circular knitting machines around the world. Maximum efficiency and an outstanding cost-top performance ratio, combined with truly universal application and operating convenience: These are the objectives at the forefront of our machine design and development work,” adds Ms. Barthel.