The yarn manufacturer Gebrüder Otto has been named as one of the three finalists for the Industry Excellence Award that is to be presented at this year’s ITMA in November, along with Levi Strauss & Co. and Berto Industria Tessile SRL.

Gebrüder Otto used the prototype Mayer & Cie. spinitsystems spin-knit machine to manufacture single jersey knitwear with energy consumption a third less than that used during the conventional spinning and knitting process.

As a spinner, Gebrüder Otto also makes the roving slub that spinitsystems processes. Mayer & Cie. is presenting its spin-knit machine at this year’s ITMA, where the spinitsystems market launch will get under way.

Successful partnership

Gebrüder Otto is a yarn and twisted yarn manufacturer founded in 1901 and based in Dietenheim, Germany. Its customers are in the circular and flat knitting and weaving industries. Otto products are also put to technical use in medical, automotive and hygiene sectors.

Sustainability is a key issue for Gebrüder Otto. One of the company’s latest developments is a high-quality yarn that includes about 25% of production waste cotton, such as spool thread or selvage. Thanks to this recycling, production of this yarn requires significantly less water and pesticide than the conventional manufacture of cotton yarn made solely from new raw material.

Knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. choose the company as for a partner in developing new knitted fabric based on its spin-knit technology in 2013. “For one, we buy our roving – the roving slub that spinitsystems processes – from Gebrüder Otto,” said Dr Wolfgang Bauer, Head of Research & Development at Mayer & Cie. “For another, the benefits we can offer with spinitsystems are very much in keeping with Gebrüder Otto’s philosophy. After all, spinitsystems uses a third less energy than the conventional process. In addition, spinitsystems has a lower CO2 emission level, and with spool thread from production fed back into the production process, waste output is also reduced significantly.”

Sustainable production requirements

Nomination for the Industry Excellence Award could mean the first award for the experience gained by Gebrüder Otto with spinitsystems and the underlying spin-knit technology. The winner will be announced in Milan on 12 November.

“We are naturally delighted with the ITMA Industry Excellence Award nomination and would be proud if we were to win it, and regardless whether we do so, we already consider our experience with spinitsystems to be a gain for us,” commented Andreas Merkel, Managing Director, Gebrüder Otto.

Mayer & Cie. has been able to provide Gebrüder Otto in spinitsystems with a unique selling proposition that is a fine match for Otto’s sustainable production requirements. Otto Managing Director Merkel also considers the results that spinitsystems delivers to be convincing. Because the yarn is not twisted, fabric produced on the spin-knit machine has no skew, the company reports. He also praises the fabric’s soft and voluminous feel.

Shorter production times

The reason for the much more favourable energy balance sheet of spinitsystems in the spin-knit process is the combination of processes. Spinitsystems performs four steps: ring spinning, cleaning, rewinding and, finally, circular knitting.

The most energy-intensive steps – ring spinning and rewinding – are no longer required, and that is why spinitsystems is said to deliver the product in significantly shorter production times. That in turn leads to lower investment in machinery, while the spin-knit process also reduces production costs considerably in comparison with the conventional manufacturing process, the company reports.

www.mayerandcie.com