From November 25-28, Karl Mayer welcomed around 400 guests from more than 220 textile companies at its location in Changzhou, China for Shanghaitex fair. Most of the visitors came from China, some came from Turkey, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Despite the current difficult economic policy conditions, the mood during the event was good.
"Our customers are used to cyclical crises. During the low, they are preparing themselves for new market opportunities and new technical developments in order to start from pole position when business picks-up," said Armin Alber, sales director of the warp knitting business unit at Karl Mayer (China). The visitors were correspondingly interested in the machines and textile products on display. Many of the managers, company owners, engineers and textile experts had learned about Karl Mayer ‘s latest innovations through the reporting on ITMA in Barcelona, and in Changzhou they convinced themselves of the advantages of the solutions. Some investment projects were also signed.
In the lingerie sector, the RJ 5/1, E 32, 130" from the new commodity product line was shown. Karl Mayer’s products have a very good price-performance ratio and they minimise the making-up effort. This includes especially plain Raschel fabrics with seamlessly incorporated, lace-like decoration tapes, which do not require hem on leg cut outs and waistband. The first machines are currently being negotiated with customers in China. Several specific project discussions were held during the in-house show.
For the manufacturers of shoe fabrics, the company presented the fast RDJ 6/1 EN, E 24, 138†offering wide-ranging patterning possibilities. The double-bar Raschel machine with piezo-jacquard technology produced an article for the in-house show in which the contours and functional details such as stabilisation structures were created directly during the warp knitting process. The first machines went into operation in December 2019. By then, more than 20 machines had been sold to the Chinese market.
Representatives of the home textile industry were impressed by the Weft.Fashion TM 3, E 24, 130", displayed at Changzhou. The weft-insertion warp knitting machine produced a fine, transparent product with an irregularly puffed-up fancy yarn. The finished curtain article resembles a woven fabric in its look, but is produced much more efficiently and without the elaborate sizing process. Visitors from Turkey as well as many manufacturers from China were particularly interested in the patterning possibilities of this machine. A first Weft.Fashion TM 3 will start production here in early 2020.
In addition, the TM 4 TS, E 24, 186†terry tricot machine impressed in Changzhou with up to 250 per cent higher output than air-jet weaving machines, approximately 87 per cent less energy and production without a sizing process. One of China’s largest towel manufacturers signed a cooperation agreement on site.
The HKS 3-M-ON, E 28, 218†showed the production of tricot fabrics with the possibilities of digitisation. Lappings can be ordered in the Karl Mayer Spare Parts Webshop, and the data from the KM.ON-Cloud can be loaded directly onto the machine. In addition, the articles are changed thanks to the electronic guide bar control without the previously required mechanical modifications. Any stitch repeat is possible without tempi change.