Swiss flat knitting machine manufacturer Steiger will be unveiling its latest innovations at next month's ITMA show in Barcelona under its ‘Time to Knit' banner. The Chinese owned company will show a new version of its Aries flat knitting technology which it says offers improved productivity and patterning potential. Steiger will also show its latest ITMA 2011 knitwear collection.

Up to 32 yarn guides

The New Aries machine which is being shown for the first time will be the centre piece in Steiger's ITMA 2011 exhibit, as Steiger's Carlo Corradi explains:

"A new version of our proven Aries technology will be shown on our booth at ITMA 2011 in Barcelona with various important new and innovative features for the machine users, including the possibility to have up to 32 yarn guides, all of which are motorised and programmable."

New Dynamic Sinker system

"The New Aries is also fitted with our new generation of sinkers which we call our Dynamic Sinker system for very high density knitted fabrics. The holding-down sinkers are ‘diving' into the opposite needle bed, much deeper than other systems enabling to knit completely new type of patterns."

"And another novelty for flat bed knitting machines - the sinkers are freely programmable section wise with the means of special  ‘floating cams' which alternate on the front or on the rear needle bed," adds Mr Corradi.

Shorter carriage offers greater productivity

The New Aries also has a revised carriage which has been redesigned and the shorter carriage is said to have a faster inversion time resulting in up to 20% higher productivity. According to Steiger, more carriage strokes in the same working period means higher production, resulting in higher benefits for the machine owners.

All Steiger customers currently using Aries.3 or Aries.6 machines will have the option to upgrade their machines with the company's ‘FAST' software to improve the productivity of their existing machines.

New Pop-up yarn guide

"Another innovation we will be showing is an increased reliability of intarsia knitting with the new programmable pop-up yarn guide. The yarn guide is simply raised out of the needles way and it is also possible to knit and use in-lay knitting applications," explains Carl Corradi, adding:

"Fashion and knitting designers will be amazed of the additional knitting techniques this innovative Steiger system is offering."

Typically Steiger

Steiger says that in typically Steiger fashion, it insists on not just making ordinary flat knitting machines and says that in today's strongly competitive knitwear markets, only the most productive and the most creative producer will have real success.

"Steiger is continuing its tradition to be the most innovative flat bed knitting machine producer with outstanding ideas. The others always look to Steiger," Carlo Corradi says.

Reinforcing creativity and support

From the creative ideas of fashion designers to final knitted products on Steiger machines.

The company says experienced machine programmers are supporting customers from all over the world from its Steiger Fashion centre, to transform their ideas into real knitted fabrics and to improve their productivity on Steiger machines.

Steiger Fashion, in collaboration with knitfab designers, has prepared a special ‘ITMA 2011 Collection' where each style is said to be absolutely unique. The company invites ITMA visitors to discover the unlimited knitting world of Steiger machines with designs and patterns only possible to produce on Steiger machines.

"Steiger Fashion has an inviting large showroom open to all visitors and there is a complete infrastructure of spare parts supply for all EU markets.  Fast delivery guaranteed to all customers," the Swiss company says.