Leading computerized flat knitting innovator SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan is partnering with digital garment solutions provider CLO Virtual Fashion of Seoul, South Korea for the integration of technology in garment design and simulation.
KARL MAYER sees performance fabrics and next-level textile solutions in particular as potential growth drivers for its customers, as a motor for business development and as real game changers for the entire textile industry. Innovation does not happen by chance. It is the result of close exchange with customers & brands, textile expertise and competence in textile machine engineering. This is why KARL MAYER is investing in progress and collaborative development and opening its TEXTILE INNOVATION CEN-TER (TIC) – a place to be for the entire textile world.
On February 6, KARL MAYER (China) celebrated the new year and its 30th anniversary. Employees and the management team at the Changzhou location, as well as representatives from management in Germany, Italy, and Hong Kong, were invited to the festivities. A special highlight was the visit by Lutz Wolf, CEO of KARL MAYER.
KARL MAYER Technical Textiles will be showcasing exciting new application potentials for multiaxial non-crimp fabrics in combination with the pultrusion process at the upcoming JEC in Hall 5, Booth C 46. The advancement of the tried-and-tested pultrusion process enables the cost-efficient production of complex CFRP multi-chamber profiles, which are used in the CETROVO high-speed metro. The world's first carbon-intensive lightweight rail vehicle of this type is designed for speeds of up to 140 km/h.
Insolvency proceedings for the circular knitting and braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. were opened on December 1, 2025. Immediately following the opening of proceedings, the complete cessation of business operations was initiated. Most employees were subsequently given notice effective the end of February 2026. The production of the remaining orders in the circular knitting segment is expected to be completed by the end of the month. As early as December 2025, Mayer & Cie.’s braiding machine division was sold to an Italian investor.
KARL MAYER’s new RE 6 EL from KARL MAYER brings a breath of fresh air to raschel fabric production. The latest samples from the textile product development department of this innovative textile machine manufacturer demonstrate the extensive design possibilities on offer.
The Lenzing Group, a leading supplier of regenerated cellulosic fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, together with KARL MAYER, the global market leader in warp knitting machines and warp preparation systems, debut a joint innovation project during Premiere Vision, Paris.
Leading Japanese computerized flat knitting technologist SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Indian sales representative Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services, Ltd., will participate in the upcoming Garments Machinery Manufacturers & Suppliers Association (GMMSA) Expo India 2026 exhibition to be held in Ludhiana, India next month. Through its lineup at GMMSA, SHIMA SEIKI aims to further strengthen its presence within the Indian market with an exhibit that caters to diverse needs, consisting of seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology as well as a brand-new shaping machine with high productivity and excellent cost performance.
KARL MAYER is opening its new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTRE (TIC), sending a strong signal that it is driving textile innovation forward and opening up new perspectives for the textile industry. The TIC brings together the latest developments in Warp Knitting, Technical Textiles and Warp Preparation – KARL MAYER’s core areas of expertise.
Nowadays textile companies increasingly need to produce small production runs and respond to market changes with instantaneous pattern changes in order to operate profitably – meaning they require machines that offer maximum flexibility, reliability and cost efficiency. KARL MAYER understands the challenges of the market and is launching its new RE 6 EL. The Raschel machine offers the core strengths of the classic RSE 6 EL and essentially the same performance parameters, but has been further cost-optimised largely due to local production advantages. This makes the newcomer an efficiency champion in production, especially when it comes to frequent pattern changes.
Terrot Textilmaschinen GmbH has unveiled the new T-Frame, a universal machine frame platform for large-diameter circular knitting machines. Designed to meet growing demands for flexibility, stability, and operational safety, the T-Frame provides a next-generation foundation for both current and future industrial knitting machines, combining German engineering expertise with a modular, future-ready design approach.
Knitted fabrics are the all-rounders among home textiles. They can be designed in many different ways and are used in mattresses, blankets and pillows as well as in terry towelling, curtains and upholstery fabrics to create trendy designs, constantly new products and good business.
Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.
Short development cycles, frequent pattern changes, and maximum efficiency – even with small batch sizes: Today's global fashion and apparel market demands more flexibility than ever before. High-performance warp knitting machines with compound needles (HKS) and EL pattern drive are KARL MAYER's answer to this challenge.
From December 16 to 19, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ShanghaiTex at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its five product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall N3, Booth A05.
KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.
Mayer & Cie., the long-established German manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines, will cease operations after its international search for an investor ended without success. The company, based in Albstadt-Tailfingen, had been undergoing insolvency proceedings in self-administration since its filing on 23 September 2025. As Schwarzwälder Bote reports, the insolvency court has now formally opened the proceedings, triggering the decision to wind down the business in an orderly process.
ITMA ASIA 2025 exceeded all expectations for KARL MAYER – above all thanks to the strong interest from India: around 30% of the qualified discussions were held with partners from this traditional textile country. The response underlines the growing importance of the Indian market, which could become the second largest sales region for KARL MAYER after China. The warp knitting industry in particular is developing dynamically.
ITMA ASIA in Singapore was a resounding success for KARL MAYER, exceeding all expectations. The company welcomed visitors from 39 countries and held around 570 expert discussions. Most guests came from India, followed by China, Indonesia and Pakistan. The exchange with them was both well-founded and targeted. Conversation topics ranged from investment projects and new technologies to opportunities for cooperation and business expansion.
KARL MAYER is launching a new two-bar tricot machine for the elastic sector at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. This newcomer is called HKS 2-SE TWO, stands for double customer benefits, and offers even more advantages than the predecessor model. With this innovation, the leading textile machinery company is once again asserting its top position in the market.
At this year's ITMA ASIA + CITME, KARL MAYER is exhibiting two advanced developments in the field of tricot machines. Both newcomers expand the portfolio with highly practical solutions for increased efficiency and cost-effective production – making the exhibition booth once again a focal point for more than just the warp knitting industry.
From October 28 to 31, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ITMA Asia + CITME at the Singapore Expo, where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its six product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Tufting, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall 5, Booth B301.
KARL MAYER's composite machines and warp knitting machines with weft insertion produce technical textiles offering an impressive variety of properties and textures. The range of tasks these textiles can perform is as broad as the spectrum of their possible fields of application. Both newcomers with the right textile solution and already established players can trust their business will flourish, as demonstrated by the examples from KARL MAYER's Technical Textiles division at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025. The exhibition at stand A 301 in Hall 5 of the Singapore EXPO focuses on two areas: filtration and construction.
For KARL MAYER, textiles are much more than just materials – they express function, emotion and progress. And they are at the heart of its customers' activities. KARL MAYER is now focusing more than ever on its customers' needs and plans and therefore on the textiles made on its machines: WARP KNITS. At the upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME, the company will demonstrate how textile solutions are providing new impetus in the categories of Fashion & Clothing and Technical Textiles.
At the beginning of this year, KARL MAYER announced that it would be shifting its focus back to its core areas of warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles. As part of this strategic realignment, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand will be discontinued. The Reutlingen plant will close down on 31 October 2025. Production in China will end in December 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision for KARL MAYER.
Seersucker fabrics are icons of the clothing industry and assure their manufacturers' success. Just in time for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025, the textile product developers at KARL MAYER have succeeded in creating brand new variants of this material. These fancy newcomers feature unique bubble effects and, with their new dimensionality, inject extra dynamism into the textile surface – and into the market.
The manufacturing of warp knitting machines has made KARL MAYER a leader in its field. It remains the company’s most important Business Unit today and has established its name as a brand in the warp knitting industry. KARL MAYER stands for the very highest quality, performance and technical progress. In a persistently difficult market environment, the company is seeking to strengthen its outstanding reputation and, above all, focus more than ever on innovation. The man responsible for this reorientation is Axel Wintermeyer, who has been President of the Warp Knitting Business Unit at KARL MAYER since January 2025 and is also part of the Management board.
On 23 September 2025, Mayer & Cie., a manufacturer of circular knitting and braiding machines in Albstadt, filed an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings in self-administration at the Hechingen District Court.
Effective 1 November 2025, the Supervisory Board of the KARL MAYER Group, a leading global provider of solutions in textile machinery manufacturing, has appointed Lutz Wolf (51) as the new sole CEO of KARL MAYER Holding SE & Co. KG. Wolf will assume overall responsibility for the internationally active group of companies, which has its headquarters in Obertshausen, Germany.
“How can I increase my efficiency? How can I boost my productivity? How can I identify new business areas?” No matter what customers have in mind, KARL MAYER takes care of it! “WE WARP. WE KNIT. WE CARE.” This is the motto of the company’s 360 m² booth A 301 in hall 5 of the Singapore EXPO and the standard KARL MAYER sets for its work.
At ITMA ASIA Singapore 2025, Vandewiele Group brands will converge to showcase breakthrough technologies across weaving, spinning, knitting, finishing, and digital solutions. From carpet weaving and jacquard, from spinning to knitting components, to MES platforms and AI-powered automation, the group presents a comprehensive vision for the future of textile manufacturing.
To promote cooperation with Egyptian companies, 18 top players from the German textile machinery industry are travelling to Cairo and Alexandria for business meetings. The sessions will take place on 22nd September in Cairo and 24th September in Alexandria, and will each include a large symposium, networking opportunities during individual B2B meetings, and visits to multi-stage textile manufacturers.
Leading flat knitting solutions company SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, will be participating in the ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 exhibition in Singapore in October. SHIMA SEIKI continues with its concept of “SHIMA SEIKI Reborn” for this year’s exhibition.
Karl J. Mayer on the strategy, focus and future of KARL MAYER and its exhibition at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025.
Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition 2025 show in Shanghai, China next month. It will exhibit once again as part of the Digital Solutions Zone which allows visitors various opportunities to partake in the digital revolution that is currently making waves in the apparel industry.
Mayer & Cie. will participate in ITMA Asia from October 28 to 31, 2025, which takes place in Singapore. Visitors will find the manufacturer of circular knitting machines and braiding machines in Hall 5, Stand D 301. At its booth, the company will be showing a new circular knitting for jacquard fabrics - the OVJA 2.4 EC II - and will provide an overview of its digital and smart solutions. Another focus is on the machines of Mayer & Cie's "Performance Line": circular knitting machines, which are the most efficient solution in their respective classes.
Christian Botschek has been Managing Director of KARL MAYER STOLL Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH alongside Axel Wintermeyer since 1st July.
Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the 26th edition of Preview in Seoul exhibition in Seoul, Republic of Korea this month, with a lineup of knitting machines and design systems. SHIMA SEIKI will be exhibiting two SWG®091N2 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines in different gauges.
KARL MAYER Technical Textiles has had a new Managing Director since July 1, 2025. Hagen Lotzmann – a manager and expert from within the company's own ranks – has taken over the position at the head of the company and, at the same time, the role of President of the KARL MAYER Technical Textiles business unit.
At the end of July 2025, the Albstadt-based braiding machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. delivered its first MR-15 braiding machine with 48 carriers. An MR-11 system, also equipped with 48 coil carriers, left the plant before Christmas 2024 and has since reached the customer. The business unit has been part of the headquarters in Albstadt since 2019. Ongoing development has enabled Mayer & Cie. braiding to solidify its market position while evolving from a “little brother” into a key pillar of the company.
On July 8, 2025, Mayer & Cie will celebrate its 120th anniversary. The company, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, specializes in the production and sales of circular knitting and braiding machines. Almost all its products are exported, and the green MCT logo on the machines is recognized by knitters around the world as a symbol of precision, durability, and reliability.
KARL MAYER's Warp Knitting Business Unit is working flat out to prepare for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore. The most important division of the renowned industry player will be presenting itself at the key textile machinery trade fair under new leadership.
Leading textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will participate in the Future Fabrics Expo 2025 exhibition in London, England this month. Held during London Climate Action Week, Future Fabrics Expo showcases sustainably and responsibly produced materials to the textile industry, and is considered a platform for exchange of knowledge and sourcing of sustainable textiles, materials and leading innovations for fashion, home and interior brands.
During the private show organized by UNION, held from May 20 to 23 in Amagasaki (Japan), Lonati presented the new DC88 DE 2H2 model, a double-cylinder machine designed to redefine efficiency and quality standards in the production of men's, women's, and children's socks. The DC88 DE 2H2 represents the latest evolution of the Lonati double-cylinder range: it is a full two-feeds machine developed to ensure maximum productivity and textile flexibility, thanks to a series of advanced technological solutions, including a new system that allows two-feed knitting even during reciprocation — ensuring all-time high productivity levels.
Albstadt, Germany, May 20, 2025 – The new machine control system Control 5.0 from Mayer & Cie. is now available. It makes the company’s circular knitting machines Internet- and knitlink-ready, preparing them for the digital future of textile production. Control 5.0 is the prerequisite for accessing knitlink, Mayer & Cie.’s digital platform. The new machine control system is available as an upgrade kit for all machines built from 2001 onward. From now on, every newly delivered mechanical circular knitting machine will be equipped with Control 5.0 as standard.
Leading computerized flat knitting innovator SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, is collaborating with Lonati S.p.A. of Brescia, Italy, to promote digitalization and sustainable product development within the sock industry. This partnership creates a strong synergy by combining SHIMA SEIKI’s APEXFiz® design software and Lonati’s ORION programming software, with the shared goal of helping the industry reduce its reliance on traditional physical sample creation processes.
In view of the many different conflict situations worldwide, the need for personal protective equipment for security forces is increasing.
With KAMCOS®, KARL MAYER has revolutionised the control of warp knitting machines worldwide. The solution was launched at the ITMA in Birmingham in 2003, was given its name - KARL MAYER Command System, KAMCOS® - in 2005, 20 years ago, and quickly proved popular on the market. KAMCOS® 2 followed at ITMA 2015, providing a further boost to innovation.
KARL MAYER launches its new RMF 8 EL and HDR 9 EL NET – two machines for the extremely economical production of stone bags, which can be manufactured in a variety of sizes and to different stages of completion. While the HDR model, as a representative of the double needle bar raschel series, produces complete sacks in one piece, the RMF 8 EL raschel machine produces individual textile sheets that are then assembled into a tubular net article.
KARL MAYER’s textile machines are renowned for their outstanding quality, efficiency and dependability, ensuring the high level of performance customers expect. As a global market leader, the company has registered trademarks for many of its innovative products, including PROWARP for its sectional warping machine in 2015, KARL MAYER PROSIZE for its sizing machine in 2012 and PRODYE for its indigo dyeing unit in 2018.
If the machinery is becoming outdated, investments in targeted upgrade offers are an interesting alternative to cost-intensive new purchases for many manufacturers, especially in difficult economic times. KARL MAYER therefore offers an electrical retrofit for its customers in the technical textiles sector. The retrofit solution brings the control and drive technology of older multiaxial and warp knitting machines with weft insertion up to the current standard, thus minimising production risks.
More benfits and maximum delivery reliability - these are the benefits that KARL MAYER is offering customers of its Raschel machines for special applications with a new fabric batching device.
The global textile markets are facing significant structural changes and a continued economic downturn. KARL MAYER is actively meeting these challenges and realigning itself - with clear decisions that ensure long-term innovative strength and competitiveness. In future, the long-established family company will be focusing once again on its core business areas - warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles.
Leading computerized flat knitting innovator SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan is exhibiting at the 19th Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2025) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in cooperation with its partner Pacific Associates Ltd. Operating in Bangladesh since 1996, this is the fifteenth time the Japanese manufacturer is participating in DTG.
Under a new partnership agreement between TotalEnergies Lubrifiants and Mayer & Cie. signed, the Tixo Stainless co-branded product range will be sold by Mayer & Cie.'s expert distributors worldwide to their customers.
KARL MAYER Technical Textiles launched two machine innovations last year and hit the mark. The newcomers, the MAX GLASS ECO for the composite sector and the 2nd generation TM WEFT for the fashion and interlining market, enjoyed above-average demand in 2024. Double-digit numbers of machines were delivered to the main markets of China and India.
Ekoten Textile, a company that stands as Europe’s most prestigious knitting manufacturer and Turkey's leading exporter of circular knit, expands technology spectrum with KARL MAYER.
Heimtextil will take place in Frankfurt am Main from January 14 to 17, 2025, and KARL MAYER is taking advantage of the proximity of its headquarters to the Main metropolis to invite its customers visiting the trade fair to a machine presentation in Obertshausen. The focus of the product show will be on tricot machines, which are among the most successful in the product portfolio of the world market leader and cover a wide range of applications.
The Brazilian luxury knitwear manufacturer Bonneterie knits with love, tradition and innovation and creates sophisticated garments that fit comfortably around the body. It has been on the road to success since it was founded in 1987. Bonneterie products stand for quality, timeless elegance and comfort and are in demand worldwide. A considerable proportion of them are produced on flat knitting machines from STOLL.
The HKS 2-S is a proven high-performance tricot machine from the KARL MAYER product portfolio. The ultra-efficient machine impresses with top values in terms of output, product quality, operational reliability and durability and is predestined for the production of elastic and rigid fabrics.
Leading textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan is exhibiting at the upcoming JIAM 2024 Japan International Apparel & Non-Apparel Manufacturing Trade Show in Osaka, Japan. At JIAM the company will be promoting all three of its main product lines: Computerized cutting machines (NC cutting machines); Computerized flat knitting machines; and Design software, to the international market. The company’s exhibition theme at JIAM 2024 is SHIMA SEIKI Reborn, referring to the renewal of SHIMA SEIKI’s commitment to innovation.
The KARL MAYER Academy is delighted about the successful training of the important STOLL customer Accord Knits in its branch at KARL MAYER (CHINA).
KARL MAYER launches an innovative lace for the underwear and clothing sector. The new, rigid article combines an exceptionally clear fabric appearance with an unrivalled filigree pattern in the centre section and was created on an MJ 92/1 F from a very thin, super-combed, Ne 200/2 ring-spun cotton yarn in the jacquard.
Warp knitting companies in Asia are also facing fundamental changes and challenges considering the tense global economic and geopolitical situation. During ITMA ASIA + CITME in October 2024, KARL MAYER showed how these can be mastered: with innovations that are primarily aimed at greater profitability, flexibility and sustainability.
At this year's ITMA ASIA + CITME, the KARL MAYER GROUP demonstrated its innovative power on two platforms at once: at a well-frequented stand in the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Centre and at an in-house show at its Chinese location in Changzhou.
Kong Zhen, General Manager of KARL MAYER (CHINA), summarizes the presentation of the KARL MAYER GROUP at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024.
At this year's ITMA ASIA + CITME, KARL MAYER presented a textile innovation in the field of sun protection clothing and hit the bull's eye. On show was a stylish jacket made from a tricot fabric in the new gauge E 44, which impressed the trade fair visitors with its exceptional performance. The silky fabric is light, soft and breathable, feels cool against the skin and offers unrivalled sun protection.
For the fall/winter 2024 season, the KARL MAYER GROUP has once again prepared a comprehensive training package for its flat knitting customers. The offer includes an online training course on CREATE DESIGN and a new e-learning course on the basics of flat knitting, primarily for designers. There is also an in-house training course on CREATE PLUS for M1plus® switchers. Susanne Eisenlohr, Head of the STOLL Academy in Reutlingen, is delighted with the positive response.
KARL MAYER focuses on the success of its customers. Together with its buyers, the trendsetter in textile machinery construction develops customized solutions that perfectly meet the needs of their markets and strengthen their competitiveness. At the last ITMA ASIA + CITME in October 2024, for example, further cooperation was agreed with the Highjet Group on an important sub-project.
KARL MAYER has developed sun protection textiles that strike a chord with the times like no other comparable product. The innovative articles are produced on an HKS 2-S in the new fineness E 44, guaranteeing an excellent Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) and offering unique wearing comfort. In addition, with a daily output of 200 kg of fabric the productivity of the HKS 2-S is just perfect. With this performance, the E 44 tricot machine is set to new trends, particularly in the outdoor fashion sector, and was a highlight at the KARL MAYER stand at the recently concluded ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 in Shanghai.
The KARL MAYER GROUP is delighted with the successful start to the ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 exhibition. Stand C27 in Hall 4 of the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center is a real crowd-puller with its modern, inviting design, its competent, welcoming staff and, above all, the wide range of innovations from all areas of the Group's technology. “We have already recorded 200 registered visitors,” says Kong Zhen, General Manager of KARL MAYER (CHINA), after one and a half days at the trade fair.
The ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 is in full swing and Groz-Beckert is presenting the highlights and innovations of its six product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Tufting, Sewing and Spinning – in Hall H4, Booth C04.
The global textile industry is characterized by profound changes and challenges. At the upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME, the KARL MAYER GROUP will be presenting solutions that can be used to exploit the opportunities arising from the upheavals, including in flat knitting. STOLL's innovations for this sector will be presented on two podiums: at Stand C27 in Hall 4 of the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center and during an in-house show at KARL MAYER (CHINA) in Changzhou accompanying the trade fair. The focus will be on two important trends in the Chinese mart.
Premiere of the DM 6/2-6 EN for the highly efficient production of lightweight spacer fabrics at KARL MAYER's in-house show during ITMA ASIA + CITME.
The KARL MAYER GROUP supports its customers by providing solutions with added value in its business areas. In order to develop the innovations, it relies on close exchange along the supply chain. In mid-September, KARL MAYER (CHINA) welcomed its top customer for Lace and Raschel machines, Tianhai Lace, and the world-famous adidas brand in Changzhou.
