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THE BEAUTY OF DETAIL GROZ-BECKERT

#Knitting & Hosiery

Successful start for a four-bar high-speed all-rounder in the tricot market

At the end of last year, KARL MAYER launched the TM 4 EL – a new, highly flexible machine for the mid-range segment in the four-bar tricot machine sector. The all-rounder produces fabrics for upholstery, automotive interiors and outerwear, as well as sportswear items and home textiles, all while offering excellent value for money.

KARL MAYER successfully launches the TM 4 EL

“When developing the TM 4 EL, we particularly focussed on our customers’ needs. A high degree of versatility and efficiency were important. Using this leading machine, our customers can produce the majority of common items and benefit from maximum speed at an attractive price,” explains Kay Hilbert, Product Owner for Global Tricot Machines at KARL MAYER. Featuring KARL MAYER’s proven CFRP technology, the TM 4 EL is up to 30% faster than the previous four-bar tricot machine designed for the commodity sector.

This development has been very well-received on the market. When it was launched during a product show on the occasion of the ITMA ASIA from 19 to 23 November 2023 at KARL MAYER (CHINA) in Changzhou City, the newcomer certainly drew in the crowds. The displayed machine was even sold during the exhibition.

Guests from the fashion sector were particularly interested. Turkish customers appreciate the potential that the TM 4 EL represents as part of the scope to develop their business with major international brands. South American producers of apparel fabrics envisage opportunities to expand their cooperation with local brands. In particular, chic seersucker items are bringing the powerful machine with a competitive price to the attention of trend-conscious fashion manufacturers.

Kay Hilbert © KARLMAYER
Kay Hilbert © KARLMAYER





TM 4 EL © KARLMAYER
TM 4 EL © KARLMAYER


About the TM 4 EL

The new TM 4 EL is offered in gauges E 28 and E 32. The available working widths are 210” and 280”, with a working width extension also available. Further width varieties are also planned. Equipment highlights include an integrated Laser Stop to detect yarn breakages early, and functional LED lighting, which illuminates the warp knitting area for easy handling and signals unplanned machine stops using the corresponding colour. The machine can be networked with KM.ON’s secure cloud via the k.ey device to utilise the KARL MAYER GROUP’s digital solutions. This includes, for example, the web-based lapping editor CORE LITE.






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#Research & Development

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.

#Carpets

DOMOTEX Hannover 2028 off to a strong start with expanded portfolio

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#Knitting & Hosiery

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.

#Research & Development

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

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#ITM 2026

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

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#Knitting & Hosiery

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.

#Knitting & Hosiery

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

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#Nonwovens

Lenzing Group highlights scalable, bio-based nonwovens solutions at leading global industry fairs

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#Research & Development

Carbon-ceramic hybrid fibre proves its worth – NRW Minister for Science Mona Neubaur congratulates ITA start-up TERNAfil

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#Digital Printing

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#Associations

Towards pragmatic and harmonised labelling in the EU

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