Shima Seiki

Free membership

Receive our weekly Newsletter
and set tailored daily news alerts.

Flat Knitting

Show of strength by Shima Seiki in Carpi

Japanese flat knitting machine builder Shima Seiki flexed its technological muscles here in the heartland of Italian knitwear production when it showed no fewer than 17 different high technology flat knitting machines for the production of advanced knitwear, knitted footwear and accessories last weekend at its Open House show. Also on show was the company’s SPR2 (Shima Production Report) production management system and SDS ONE APEX 3 Apparel Design Workstation.

8th October 2013

Knitting Industry
 |  Carpi, MO

Knitwear, Knitted Outerwear, Hosiery/​Socks, Sports/​Activewear, Knitted Accessories, Technical Textiles

Japanese flat knitting machine builder Shima Seiki flexed its technological muscles here in the heartland of Italian knitwear production when it showed no fewer than 17 different high technology flat knitting machines for the production of advanced knitwear, knitted footwear and accessories last weekend at its Open House show. Also on show was the company’s SPR2 (Shima Production Report) production management system and SDS ONE APEX 3 Apparel Design Workstation.

Shima Seiki Italia, Carpi - venue for last weekend's Open House

More than 800 visitors attended Shima Seiki Italia’s Private Show at the company’s Carpi office between the 26th and 28th September, with guests coming from Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany, as well as from all of the knitwear producing regions of Italy.

WholeGarment hotbed

A busy industrial and craft centre with a population of around 67,000 people, Carpi is still one of the most important knitwear producing cities in Europe, with its highly skilled contract knitters producing for the high-end Italian and European brands.

For Shima Seiki Carpi is a ‘WholeGarment hotbed’, which is of high importance, as there is probably a greater concentration of the company’s WholeGarment knitting machines here than anywhere else in the world. The city has around 120 knitwear manufacturers and there are over 1000 Shima WholeGarment machines in production at the ‘early adopter’ knitwear producers.

More than 800 visitors attended Shima Seiki Italia’s Private Show

Speaking to Knitting Industry at the Carpi show, Mr Nobuyuki Sasamoto, President of Shima Seiki Italia said:

“This area suffered particularly badly in the earthquake of May 2012 and after a full refurbishment of our offices and showrooms, we re-opened just a few months ago. We then decided it was time to do something special in Carpi, a very important centre for us, so we decided to host this Open House show for our customers, other local producers and of course the brands.”

“We have worked hard to introduce our WholeGarment technology to Italy’s leading brands and have been particularly successful in this area. It’s appropriate therefore that when we host a show here, it should be something extra special.”

Mr Nobuyuki Sasamoto, President of Shima Seiki Italia

Something special

And special it was. The whole of Shima Seiki Italia’s Carpi warehouse was converted to exhibition space to house the wide range of Shima flat knitting machines, garment displays and sample ranges. The extremely well presented space reverberated to the sound of a high quality Shima Fashion Show extravaganza – a video presentation of the unique fashion show held at the company’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in its home town of Wakayama, Japan last winter.

The atmosphere inside the exhibition hall was electric, especially when Shima Seiki’s President, Dr Masahiro Shima made a highly anticipated appearance late morning on the first day. One visitor described the event as a mini ITMA, a reference to the major textile machinery exhibition which takes place in Europe every four years. Dr Shima always looks comfortable in Italy, one of the company’s best markets over the last 50 years, and this occasion was no exception, as he moved easily between his Italian customers and international visitors, greeting guests and renewing old acquaintances.

Mr Sasamoto with Shima Seiki Mfg., President Dr Masahiro Shima

Almost 300 visitors attended the show on that hot and humid day with large groups of guests arriving by coach and moving between the ‘machine hall’ and the upstairs showrooms and CAD demonstration rooms. There was a real party atmosphere here with hundreds of Shima coloured (blue and white) balloons floating above the pulsating machines which churned out sample after sample in the 30°C heat.

Strategy is Technology

Under the company’s new logo ‘Strategy is Technology’, Shima showed no fewer than four versions of its high speed MACH2 WholeGarment technology – M153X in 18L gauge, M183S in 12 gauge, M173X in gauge 8L and M123X in gauge 15L. Running at 1.00m/s the M153X machine was producing a figure hugging tube dress with a 32 minute knit time using Cariaggi’s Zefiro yarn (60% merino superfine, 30% silk, 10% cashmere) – a long way from the early ‘one hour plus’ knit times of a few years ago.

Two different FIRST range machines were also shown – F124S in 18 gauge and F154S in 21 gauge, the world’s finest flat knitting machine. The F154S 21 gauge was producing an exquisite tailored women’s jacket with beautiful details such as shaped piped lapels and pockets and fitted waist and bust.

Highly efficient sampling

Shima Seiki Italia’s Alessandro Pontieri saw this as one of the exhibition highlights not because of the striking design but because of the newly streamlined sampling process used to produce it. Pointing to the sample on a mannequin next to the machine, Pontieri said:

“What is important here is that this garment came from the machine first time, which for a new machine model and gauge as fine as 21 gauge, is remarkable.”

“In normal flat knit sampling, this should be very difficult to do. Everything should be difficult because of the combination of fine gauge, complex shaping and integral knitting. But it isn’t. It has really surprised even us,” Pontieri added.

Pontieri is referring to the giant step forward Shima has made recently in dramatically reducing sampling time by utilising a combination of its i-DSCS digital knitting aid, PGM pattern making, grading and marking software and 3D Modelist simulation software.

The combination is now said to be significantly impacting on sampling efficiency, saving garment developers time and therefore money. Normally multiple program/ knit/adjust cycles are required before reaching a satisfactory sample. “This is very close to first time sampling,” Pontieri concluded.

Dr Masahiro Shima takes a tour of the Shima Seiki Italia Carpi Open House exhibits

SWG Mini

Also attracting a lot of attention in Carpi was the range of Shima SWG ‘Mini’ WholeGarment accessories machines  - SWG041N in 10 gauge, SWG061N in 7 gauge and SWG091N in 18 gauge were all producing interesting samples which demonstrate the flexibility of the technology. The SWG041N for example was producing a three dimensionally knitted one-piece shoe upper similar in principle to those now produced by some of the world’s leading sports shoe manufacturers.

Shima Seiki Italia technician Franco Schittino, confirmed that the SWG Mini series is now being used by a number of customers in Italy for medical products as well as fashion accessories. “We have installed a number of SWG Mini machines recently for medical textiles but we are also seeing a huge increase in interest for 3D knitted shoe uppers, bags and other objects as well as integrally knitted fashion accessories such as gloves, scarves and mufflers.”

A really interesting range of samples in the full gauge range was on show. Andreas Kirschbichler of Vienna, Austria based Kitech Packaging & Textile Technology GmbH, a Shima Seiki agent in the German speaking countries, confirmed the same trend. “We have an 18 gauge SWG091N in our Vienna office which is busy sampling for medical device developers and product designers. We see very strong interest in this machine,” Kirschbechler said.

One of Shima Seiki Italia's Carpi rooms

Other highlights

Other flat knitting machines on show in Carpi were as follows:

  • MSIG123SC in 18 gauge
  • SSR122SV in 14 gauge
  • SCG122SN in 3 gauge
  • SIR123SV in 7 gauge
  • NSSG122SV in 5 gauge
  • NSES122SC in 3 gauge
  • SIR122SC in 18 gauge

Highlights amongst these were the recently launched NSSG122SV in 5 gauge and the SIR122 in 18 gauge.

Released about one year ago the NSSG122SV in 5 gauge, with a maximum knitting speed of 1.4 m/sec and quick carriage returns with R2CARRIAGE, as well as DSCS digital stitch control, NSSG122SV aims to set a new global standard in shaped knitting technology. As far as the Carpi exhibition was concerned, the target of Shima Seiki Italia here was to again produce a ‘first time sample’ and this is said to have been achieved. The 5 gauge sample presented incorporated significant flechage knitting which would normally present knitting challenges.

Shima Seiki Italia Carpi Open House

The 18 gauge SIR122 machine exhibited was dubbed “the first flat knitting machine which can print” by Shima Seiki Italia’s Alessandro Pontieri. This is a humorous reference to the similarity between the highly detailed 18 gauge pictorial jacquard fabric produced on the knitting machine and the high quality detailed print which can be achieved on fine gauge fabrics by Shima’s SIP digital printing system.

Shima Seiki Italia’s Open House was one of the best in-house shows I have attended in a while. It was great to see so much technology presented at a single event given the gloom of recent years in the European industry. We should not forget of course that Carpi is still a very special place for knitwear production and for Shima Seiki ‘Strategy is Technology.’

www.shimaseiki.eu

Latest Reports

Business intelligence for the fibre, textiles and apparel industries: technologies, innovations, markets, investments, trade policy, sourcing, strategy...

Find out more