Japanese flat knitting machine manufacturer Shima Seiki has launched an ultra-fine gauge computerised flat knitting machine in 21 gauge, the finest ever flat knitting machine with shaping capability. The SWG FIRST 154 S21, which is cut 21 needles to the inch, has the capability to knit fabrics in the gauge range 18 to 26 for single jersey and 18 to 20 gauge for rib fabrics.

Translated, the ‘Seiki' in Shima Seiki Manufacturing Ltd, means ‘precision', and the company certainly lives up to its name with this launch, making 26 gauge shaped single jersey fabrics a reality.

A flat knitting machine which is capable of knitting 26 gauge single jersey fabrics takes Shima into the area of lightweight jersey fabrics normally associated with T-shirts and underwear, produced on traditional circular knitting machines.

This is made possible by incorporating the Wakayama based company's slide needle technology which allows the transferring of stitches via a special sliding mechanism built in to the needle, which replaces the traditional latch and transfer pellerine.

The slide needle has two advantages with ultra-fine gauge shaping. Firstly, the design of the needle allows knitting of finer fabrics relative to the cut (needles per inch) of the machine and secondly the lack of a traditional transferring latch needle makes high precision stitch transfer a reality with such fine gauges.

Previously, computerised flat knitting machines have been built up to 32 gauge (needles per inch) but these were relatively simple machines which could not rack or transfer, two pre-requisites for fully fashioned or shaped knitting.

The SWG FIRST 154 S21 is fitted with Shima's R2 Carriage for quick carriage return and increased productivity. In addition to the SlideNeedle, its loop pressers and transfer jacks permit a wide variety of patterns in a wide range of gauges.

It also features i-DSCS+DTC to handle high-speed knitting of the fine and delicate material used in knitting the finest-gauge fabrics.

10 out of the 12 computerized flat knitting machines exhibited by Shima at ITMA 2011 are new. They round out a complete line-up: WHOLEGARMENT, new integral, intarsia and shaping machines ranging from 3G to 21G.

"For manufacturing in consumer markets, an expanded range of WHOLEGARMENT knitting machines offer even higher added-value than ever before. A new generation of shaping machines provides a new sense of value aimed at an entire spectrum of markets, from high value-added production applications in consumer markets to replacements for hand-flat knitting machines in labor-intensive mass-production markets," says Shima's Masaki Karasuno.

"For production, brand new software provides improved efficiency in programming, and enhanced 3D simulation capability eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming samplemaking, beneficial to any market application," Mr Karasuno adds.

Further coverage of Shima Seiki at ITMA 2011 will be published here shortly.