Leading knitting solutions provider Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd. of Wakayama, Japan will co-host a joint webinar with hosiery machine manufacturer Lonati S.p.A. of Brescia, Italy on 4 March 2026. The online event follows the companies’ strategic collaboration announced in May 2025, which focuses on advancing digitalisation and sustainable product development within the sock industry.

The webinar will introduce a product development workflow designed to reduce the sector’s reliance on traditional physical sampling. In the sock segment, physical samples are commonly produced for design assessment and production decisions, but the process can lead to wasted resources and labour, increased costs through sampling and materials, and delays caused by long lead times ahead of market launch.

The proposed workflow combines Shima Seiki’s APEXFiz Design-Sox software, which offers dedicated 3D virtual sampling for socks, with Lonati’s ORION programming software, enabling users to verify data in 3D from a technical perspective. By integrating design, programming and manufacturing stages, potential issues can be identified and resolved earlier, supporting faster time-to-market while maintaining product quality.

The companies also emphasise the sustainability benefits of 3D virtual sampling, which can reduce the number of physical samples required, helping to minimise material waste and environmental impact linked to the disposal of unnecessary prototypes.

The webinar will be available on demand via YouTube and will be delivered in English, with captions in other languages accessible through an auto-translation tool. Topics include the current situation of the sock industry, digital workflow in sock product development, and future development plans.

Webinar details

Wednesday, 4 March 2026, 10:00am–11:59pm, on demand (YouTube).

The session will cover:

- The current situation of the sock industry

- Digital workflow in sock product development, including realistic 3D sock simulation using yarn data with APEXFiz for designers

- Programming and simulation to optimise the knit production process using ORION for programmers

- Future development plans

Registration is required and can be completed here.

www.shimaseiki.com

www.lonati.com