Seamless and circular knitting machine builder Santoni, a member of the renowned  Lonati Group, reports that it has been busy implementing one of its new strategies to help address  the current economic situation whilst bearing in mind the emerging new world economic order that is inevitably taking shape.

Santoni’s strategy focuses on increasing and concentrating its research and development efforts towards new machines in a very carefully studied way, taking into consideration both the demands of the more sophisticated markets, where a more selective or all-around consumerism will inevitably take place, as well as the consequences of the strong  competition from machine builders in the  energetic and emerging countries that has now brought different centres of gravity to the global textile world.

The Santoni Group is well known for its machine building in a uniquely versatile range of knitting fields and related technologies. The company is involved in the manufacture of seamless, large diameter, garment length and medical hosiery machines as well as a range of auxiliary packaging and automation equipment. Here, we look at some of the highlights and summarize the latest news on Santoni's increased  and thoughtfully planned Research and Development investments with some of their new generation machines.

Santoni’s new seamless developments include new versions of its well established circular seamless models and further development of its recent move into double needle bar warp knitting.

SWD8 - Santoni seamless warp knitting machine

As the recognised pioneers, leaders and promoters of circular knitting seamless since the 1980's, Santoni has looked at every possible evolution of the concept, even going outside of its classic circular weft knitting systems and creating a very compact seamless warp knit serial garment production machine, that was first presented to the world at their well known annual Santoni Days Exhibition, last year in June 2008.

A spokesperson for the company told KnittingIndustry.com: “To maintain its distinct leadership in seamless, Santoni has purposely seized the occasion of the inevitable slowing rhythms of the world crisis, by choosing to take more time and extend its development of this machine for specifically additional advantageous new features that would make it distinct and more unique as befits the leader of seamless”.

“Santoni calculated with purpose that it would be worthwhile in these world circumstances to take a little more time in coming out with its first series of this new machine using the warp knitting systems”, the company said, adding: “Now Santoni is pleased to announce  the first series. The first series will be forthcoming this early Autumn 2009 with several worthwhile distinct and patented advantages as part and sequence to the Santoni seamless knitting evolution and development”.

SM9 MF – seamless double jersey for classics        

This machine is designed for the highest productivity at the most the competitive costs and even in the finest gauges, this seamless circular machine produces real striper ribs, jacquards, links-links and eyelet ( pointelle) in body size tubular fabrics with rib welt and separation yarn. Using up to 12 feeds, finishing the fabrics is by traditional methods allowing the use of elastomeric yarns without any dimensional side effects.  Available up to gauge 20 and in different diameters from 14 inches to 24 inches, it has 6 colour striping at each feed, various transfer stitch configuration options but all bi-directional. Its SM9 MFS variant is similar but a more economic version for less demanding fabrics as it has 3 colour striper at each feed.

SM8-TRI – seamless single jersey for outerwear and sportswear

Again, this machine is for high productivity of eyelet (pointelle) and plated jersey fabrics in multiple colours per course. The machine has the unique patented feature of adjacent lateral stitch transfer on no less than 8 feeds and is ideal for the all important high and economically attractive production of outer and sports garments that require the breathing advantage of the eyelet fabric as well as the shaping possibilities by means of needle elimination. Santoni says the machine is available up to 24 gauge and with diameters from 16 inches to 20 inches and has an extraordinary range of operations to satisfy the most demanding requests of sports and outerwear garments.

In large diameter circular knitting Santoni has developed two new models in its well known Vignoni brand and new software for its garment length Mecmor range.

Revolutionary Iris striper model

With their synergy between different fields of knitting machine technology, Santoni says that it has conceived this new single jersey striper circular knitting machine that offers greater productivity and more economic performance, as well as flexibility by creating a striper machine that is completely ‘managed electronically’ in such a way that the yarn fingers can be exchanged independently from one another and in any position on the cylinder using individual control for each striper.Santoni says that this new way of looking at striper machines is a breakthrough for making higher production at lower cost with greater versatility.

New ultra fine gauge Atlas

As the powerful synthetic yarn world is developing more sophisticated possibilities, consequently and simultaneously, the machine world moving towards ultrafine gauges such as 50, 54 and 62.

Santoni has faced this challenge by conceiving its large diameter single jersey  Atlas single jersey ultra fine gauge machine with a specially patented system that at the same time not only eliminates the sinkers with their negative cumbersomeness at these ultra fine gauges , but also involves a special patented  ‘comb’ system that does the work of the sinkers. The comb system eliminates the negative side effects by  clearing the stitch under the needle latch without interfering on the already formed stitches and lessening  the otherwise vital assistance of the take down.

New software from Mecmor

Santoni says that this new software with 3-dimensional simulation is vital for users of the circular garment length open- width Mecmor machine, which is unique both for high productivity and available up to 18 gauge. The new software will dramatically reduce sampling times and time taken to evaluate new products, the company says. Santoni also says that the software is very similar to the programming of flat bed knitting machines so as to be of use to all those flat knitters who have such systems but appreciate the use of a circular sweater machine for higher production especially at finer gauges.             

 Santoni is demonstrating that it is definitely not standing still in these challenging times but that it is pursuing its goals in the company’s typically energetic and determined manner. This certainly is good news for both the company’s existing and future customers. "Santoni believes that also in an established textile machine industry there are ways of looking and facing the future and new ways of dressing and consuming that are inevitably going to come about throughout the world. And all of Santoni's experience and activity prepares it for this new challenge, so obvious in these times", the company said.