Premium Italian fabrics, thanks to Karl Mayer
Italy represents elegance and exclusivity in fashion like no other country, and this southern European country still heads the top price bracket. Premium Italian fabrics enjoy an excellent reputation, and are finding new customers in the emerging economies, where great importance is attached to high-end brands. The national sector is confident that it can expand its position on the world market over the next few years, as well. The optimism of the Italian textile sector is not unfounded.
Customers are interested in Karl Mayer’s innovative machines because of their high operating speeds, exceptional beam quality, and their advantages in terms of the number of operatives needed to operate automatic systems.
Italy represents elegance and exclusivity in fashion like no other country, and this southern European country still heads the top price bracket. Premium Italian fabrics enjoy an excellent reputation, and are finding new customers in the emerging economies, where great importance is attached to high-end brands. The national sector is confident that it can expand its position on the world market over the next few years, as well. The optimism of the Italian textile sector is not unfounded. The clothing and textile industries have profited from the pickup in demand in Russia, and have been investing again for some time now – much to the delight of global machine manufacturers. Between 2014 and 2015, German textile machinery exports to Italy did rise slightly, from €72,538 million to €72,647 million, but the signs are that the situation in Italy will start to improve even more. And KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation Business Unit has also spotted this trend for expansion and renewal.
Warp preparation machines
By focusing on flexibility, rapid delivery times and customised solutions, Italian textile companies are relying on innovative production technology. For example, Italian weavers are depending on KARL MAYER’s warp preparation machines. As a result, this well-known machine builder is delighted that its order books are full. “Even in 2014, we could see an increase in orders, but the real boom started in 2015, and will probably continue until 2016,†explained the Sales Manager, Giuseppe Moretti.
The GIRO-O-MATIC 24 and the MULTI-MATIC® 128 sample warping machines and the NOV-O-MATIC automatic, short-warp sectional warping machine have proven to be real bestsellers. According to Giuseppe Moretti, the reason why customers are so interested in these innovative machines is their high operating speeds, exceptional beam quality, and their advantages in terms of the number of operatives needed to operate automatic systems. The performance of these machines is quite unique. They are currently without rival, and are in especially high demand in the weaving cluster located in the province of Biella.
Since the 13th century, the wool and weaving sectors have been particularly important in this region in the north of Italy. Nowadays, Biella is synonymous with quality on the market for high-end men’s outerwear. KARL MAYER customers include well-known brandname suppliers like Vitale Barberis Canonico, based in Pratrivero, Reda Successori, based in Valle Mosso, Loro Piana in Quarona, Ermenegildo Zegna in Trivero and the Marzotto Group, which operates in various locations in the Biella region. But manufacturers based slightly further afield, such as Subbifil in Peia, in the province of Bergamo, have also bought KARL MAYER’s innovative warp preparation machines.
The advantages of automatic operation
The NOV-O-MATIC fully automatic sectional warping machine (Figures 1 + 2) is perfect for producing sample and production warps of average length. On this machine, the dividing cords for weaving or sizing are drawn in fully automatically and the feed rate is determined automatically by a laser feed control device (LVR). Other technical features include a laser-monitored circumference controller, which uses a layer-thickness control system to guarantee maximum warp quality, and an order input system, which can be operated easily via an office PC and network connection. The NOV-O-MATIC is also extremely productive and can reach warping speeds of up to 1,000 m/min. The MULTI-MATIC® (Figures 3+4) and GIR-O-MATIC machines also operate fully automatically. They can be used both as sample as well as production machines – with different warp lengths in each case. The GIR-O-MATIC 16 is ideal for producing beams having warp lengths of 14 m up to a maximum of 700 m, the GIR-O-MATIC 24 up to 1,050 m, and the MULTI-MATIC® from 35 m to a maximum of 1,500 m. For patterning, the yarn guide fingers can be activated individually, i.e. 16 or 24 on the GIR-O-MATIC and up to 128 on the MULTI-MATIC®. The colour can be changed automatically in both cases, with accurate yarn laying at maximum production speeds (Figure. 4). The flexibility of the machines when working patterns and producing short warps up to a working width of 3,600 mm on the MULTI-MATIC® and a working width of 2,250 mm on the GIR-O-MATIC is quite unique – just as is their production rate. The output of the MULTI-MATIC® compared to current sample warping machines has been increased by a factor of eight when processing single-colour warps and by a factor of four when processing pattern warps. The warps may be up to 40 per cent longer. With the GIR-O-MATIC, productivity has been increased by a maximum of 40 per cent when processing single-colour warps and by up to 600 per cent for pattern warps, compared to the previous machine, the ROM.
