Mayer & Cie. to focus on sport & new customer experiences

Albstadt-based circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) is exhibiting at this year’s leading textile and garment technology trade fair ITMA with the slogan “Stay a winner. With Mayer & Cie.” The focus of the company’s presentation will be on sport. Sportswear, active leisurewear and sports shoes are increasingly made of circular knitted fabrics and the long-established German firm has the right machines to cater for this trend. Mayer & Cie. is also going for the improved customer experiences that consistent digitisation makes possible.

Sportswear market is a growth market

“Circular knitting is one of the most efficient ways to manufacture textile surfaces,” says managing partner Marcus Mayer, in charge of technical development at Mayer & Cie. “A Mayer machine manufactures up to 40 kg of fabric per hour, enough for around 380 t-shirts. Jersey fabric is elastic too, which is good for wearing comfort, especially in the sport and leisure sectors.”

For years global demand for circular knitted goods has increased continuously. An important growth driver is the sportswear and sports fashion sector, including sports shoes. According to Euromonitor the market segment grew by about seven per cent per year between 2013 and 2017. By 2017 Euromonitor estimated its total market value to be around $78 billion. Lightweight synthetic fibres, new patterns and attractive functionalities are the key requirements in this area.

Mayer & Cie. can already fulfil many requirements with a portfolio of machines considered to be the largest in the industry. Lightweight mesh structures, often requested for running shirts, are a speciality of the IG 3.2 QCe interlock machine, for example. Jacquard machines from the OVJA family, in contrast, are suitable for the manufacture of shoe uppers. Hardy Bühler, trend scout and regional sales manager at Mayer & Cie., says that “for a sports shoe to be made of knitted fabric has only really been an option since the 2012 Olympics”. Compared with the conventional methods flat knitting and warp knitting, circular knitting scores points for productivity and significantly shorter set-up times.