According to the Moods Spring/Summer 2015 cards published by the DMI, German Fashion Institute, ultra-lightweight textiles are the latest trend in both the sportswear and haute couture sectors.

Karl Mayer machinery manufacturer offers warp-knitted textiles with a wide variety of design possibilities for creating actual and optical ethereal effects, produced on its range of raschel machines.

These lightweight fabrics are produced by combining natural and synthetic fibres, such as linen and polyamide. Lightweight organza is also right on trend. These shimmering, transparent fabrics can be combined with satin and can also be given a luxurious, mother-of-pearl sheen by a coating process.

A touch of lightness

The FL 20/16 and ML 46 lace raschel machines can produce delicate, all-over lace fabrics with an embroidered look, whilst open, decorative net fabrics can be produced on the RSJ 4/1.

One of the big advantages of warp knitting, the company reports, is that it can also be used to produce a wide range of slip-resistant embroidery grounds efficiently. The power net fabrics produced on the RSE 4-1, for example, have become firm favourites. The light and airy fabrics produced on this raschel machine feature regular mesh structures with circular openings, and may also have extremely fine stitch densities.

The tulle and filet constructions produced on the HKS 2, HKS 2-3 and HKS 3-M are also widely used on the market for embroidery grounds. The textiles produced on these two and three bar high speed warp knitting machines feature a regular construction and are therefore ideal for the high-precision production of embroidery patterns efficiently, the company reports.

Open tulle constructions

The range of tulle products that can be produced on the HKS 3-M has been extended by new innovations developed by Karl Mayer. These new textiles feature the typical construction of three stitch hexagonal tulle, but unlike conventional tulle, they have openings of different dimensions.

This effective modification is produced by working shanks of different length. The connecting pieces of the waffle pattern are produced by pillar stitch wales which, unlike the conventional processing on raschel machines, do not run freely but are joined together in pairs by the weft lapping.

This means that the length of the pillar stitch wales is designed so as to be completely flexible. In addition to being able to simulate a three stitch hexagonal tulle, other geometrical shapes can also be produced. These include, for example, asymmetrical waffle constructions, intermittent connecting pieces, and openwork constructions in various sizes and combinations.

www.karlmayer.com