#Knitting & Hosiery

2024-11-28

A machine for summiteers

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.

The HKS 2-S in E 44 sets new standards in outdoor wear, especially for mountain sports © 2024 KARL MAYER

Just in time for ITMA ASIA + CITME in October 2024, the bestseller was launched with an upgrade in the gauge area. With a gauge of E44, HKS 2-S brings a breath of fresh air to many areas of application, especially the promising outdoor clothing segment: With their dense surfaces, the supple E44 fabrics offer excellent protection against the sun's harmful rays. Their UV protection factor is more than twice as high as that of circular knitwear. The silky fabrics are also soft, comfortable to wear, breathable and quick-drying, and they can be produced extremely efficiently. At a speed of up to 3,200 rpm and a working width of 130", around 200 kg of fabric is produced per day. This made the HKS 2-S a real highlight at the ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024, and the machine was sold several times during the trade fair.

The HKS 2-S has been equipped with the modern automation platform KAMCOS® 2 Connect. This allows customers to network their machines and utilise all cloud-based solutions from the digital world of KARL MAYER. The Pattern Data System (PDS) enables the secure and simple storage and management of article data without the need to exchange sensitive data via USB stick. Digital offerings for optimising remote service also ensure shorter downtimes and more efficient after-sales service. Other solutions enable the integration of systems, for example for monitoring threads and the operating status of the machine, thereby maximising machine performance.

The HKS 2-S offers simple operation with other successfully established features, including laser stop, camera and homogenous lighting of the working area, which indicates the operating status of the machine, which is visible from a distance. Other tried and tested features of the HKS series in the HKS 2-S include bars based on carbon composite technology, a mechanical pattern drive, an electronically controlled yarn feed and a continuous fabric take-off that is also electronically controlled.

However, the latest upgrade required some fine-tuning.

“The high gauge required even more precise coordination of all components. The stable running of the HKS 2-S in E 44 at the uniquely high speed is only possible thanks to their very precise interaction,” says Kai Sulzmann, Project Manager of the KARL MAYER warp knitting business unit.

KARL MAYER opens a new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTRE – a new era of textile innovation begins

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.

Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

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.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at GMMSA Expo India

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.

Terrot introduces T-Frame platform to redefine stability and flexibility in large-diameter circular knitting

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.

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

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.

The newcomers HKS 3-M EL ECO and HKS 4-M EL ECO set new standards in the tricot market

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.

Perfect quality through collaboration: Machinery from Trützschler, Toyota and Murata at Zirve Tekstil

In today’s textile industry, excellence is not achieved by chance – it’s the result of deliberate decisions, technical expertise, and the courage to go beyond conventional paths. The Turkish company Zirve Tekstil has done just that: by combining the best technologies from Trützschler, Toyota and Murata, they’ve created a production setup that delivers outstanding yarn quality – recognized worldwide.

Engineering depth and diversity for composites

Airbond is the latest member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to receive recognition for contributions to the composites industry. The engineering firm based in Pontypool, South Wales, has just received the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for its Lattice 3D Printing project.

Award-winning research for sustainable carbon fibre cycles

Sustainable recycling of carbon fibres is possible through targeted electrochemical surface modification, which makes the sizing of carbon fibres resistant to solvolysis. ITA PhD student Sabina Dann was awarded the MSW Award from RWTH Aachen University for her master's thesis on this development. The award ceremony took place on 12 November 2025 in Aachen.