#Composites

2022-06-09

KARL MAYER presented sustainable solutions at JEC World

After a three-year break due to corona, the global composites industry came together again for the first time at a JEC World. The leading composites industry event was held in Paris from May 3-5, 2022. It exceeded all expectations in terms of product launches, content, business activities and attendance. In total, more than 32,000 trade visitors from over 115 countries were counted in Paris and on the JEC World Connect digital platform. The online format celebrated its premiere and was offered parallel to the presence event.

Sustainable solutions for composite reinforcements and exhibition premiere for STOLL - KARL MAYER with two highlights at JEC World, 03.-05.05.2022 in Paris

There were 1,201 exhibitors at the exhibition center in Paris. There were 26 pavilions and the launches of 500 new products. With the impressive figures, dynamic networking and lively business activity, JEC World once again confirmed its exposed position in the exhibition landscape of the composites industry. By the end of the event, 50% of the exhibition space for JEC World 2023 had already been booked. The KARL MAYER Group will also be back next year.

This renowned global player celebrated a premiere at this year's trade fair: for the first time, it was represented in Paris by its STOLL Business Unit and thus also had solutions from the flat knitted sector in its trade fair luggage. KARL MAYER Technische Textilien also presented the possibilities offered by its innovative machines for the production of reinforcement textiles. The highlight here was a snowboard made from a scrim produced from flax fibres. Composites made from renewable raw materials were the hit of the show. "Many of the solutions are still in the early stages of large-scale production, but they are an interesting alternative in terms of sustainability," says Hagen Lotzmann. The Sales Manager of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien is satisfied with the results of JEC World 2022. "We met all our important customers and also got into conversation with many new manufacturers. Around a third of all visitors were first-time contacts." Missing, however, were the representatives from the Chinese market. Due to corona-related travel restrictions, they had to stay at home. In addition, the results of the meetings were right. "We had exclusively trade visitors at our booth. We mostly discussed very specific concerns at a high technical level," says Hagen Lotzmann.

KARL MAYER's flat knitting unit also drew a positive conclusion. The presentation in Paris had provided a lot of food for thought and created new opportunities for networking, explained Martin Legner from STOLL Sales. In addition, he said, there was broader input when discussing various topics. Among the possibilities offered by STOLL's flat knitting solutions in the field of technical textiles are the production of shaped articles and low-waste textiles. In addition, various materials, yarns and fibers can be integrated into knitted goods directly on the machine.

Fig.: The stand of the KARL MAYER Group at the JEC (c) 2022 KARL MAYER

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.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

TM WEFT, 270" – More width, more design freedom for the fashion world

KARL MAYER is expanding its successful TM WEFT series with an innovative model that opens up new possibilities, particularly in the fashion & apparel sectors. With a working width of 270", this new machine with weft-insertion not only offers significantly higher output than its narrower counterparts but is also specifically tailored to the demands of dynamic clothing market – particularly in China and Türkiye. A well-thought-out upgrade also ensures even greater design versatility.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

JEC World 2026 confirms its standing as the unmissable event for composites and their applications

JEC World 2026 confirms its position as the leading global event for the composite materials industry and its applications across multiple sectors, bringing together the entire composites ecosystem in Paris for three days of business, innovation, and collaboration. True to its Pushing the Limits motto, the 2026 edition delivered outstanding results despite travel disruptions worldwide. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 1,400 exhibitors from over 50 countries, including over 150 first-timers, presented a global panorama of products, equipment, and services across the entire composites value chain.

KARL MAYER strengthens partnerships in the composites industry at JEC World 2026

KARL MAYER further strengthened its role as a reliable and competent partner to the composites industry at JEC World 2026. The global market leader in textile machinery manufacturing used the trade show to meet key customers, establish numerous new contacts, and engage in in-depth technical discussions.

Kordsa showcases its global expertise in material technologies at JEC World 2026

Kordsa, a subsidiary of Sabancı Holding, shared its global expertise in material technologies with participants at JEC World 2026, held in Paris. The company’s solutions developed for a wide range of industries—particularly aviation, energy, and automotive—stood out among its key innovations at the exhibition. Throughout the event, Kordsa also presented its vision for sustainable growth and its strategic transformation in composite technologies to international stakeholders.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.