#ITMA Asia + CITME 2020

2021-06-17

KARL MAYER at ITMA ASIA + CITME: Live in Shanghai and then virtually for the whole world

The KARL MAYER Group will be exhibiting innovations for machines and technical services at the current ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai. These innovations ensure greater speed, flexibility and independence, particularly with digital pioneering solutions in production. This will be complemented by a trendy textile show as inspiration for new business opportunities.

The KARL MAYER Group invites its worldwide customers and other interested parties to take a tour of its digital exhibition stand following ITMA ASIA + CITME

The offers for warp knitting, flat knitting, production of technical textiles and warp preparation are very well received. During the first two days alone, several hundred visitors came, mainly with specific interests and mainly from China. "The quality of discussions is very high. So far, the fair is running successfully for us," said Yang Zeng Xing, General Manager of KARL MAYER (CHINA) after the second day of the event.

At its first real trade fair appearance since the beginning of the pandemic, however, the KARL MAYER Group is also focusing on its customers in the other parts of the world. Being close to all its customers is particularly important to the global player now, during the current Corona crisis. Equipped with a microphone and a camera, a team of experts from KARL MAYER (CHINA) is recording the atmosphere on the spot for guests who have no means of travelling. With the live recordings, KARL MAYER will take visitors on a virtual tour of its exhibition, at a hybrid show directly following ITMA ASIA + CITME.

A vivid 3D model of the exhibition stand, which can be rotated and moved interactively, ensures easy orientation, and there is an experience behind every exhibit: in live interviews, experts explain details and answer questions that have already been asked, while videos and information material provide further information. Visitors will also find contact details for the exhibits of competent contacts from the entire global organization, who are looking forward to answering all questions and holding interesting discussions. In addition, webinars on individual highlights can be booked for the end of June and the beginning/middle of July.

Behind the impressive virtual presence is a mature performance. "We have a strong team on site at ITMA ASIA + CITME, whose commitment makes the virtual tour of our hybrid trade show an experience," says Christine Wolters from Corporate Communications. She and her team look forward to a well-attended online event, starting June 18, 2021, at:

https://www.karlmayer.com/en/itma-asia-hybrid-booth/

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.