Billy Hunter reports

Brescia and its surrounding area has always been the most important manufacturing centre for hosiery and sock manufacturing machinery as well as home to many internationally renowned producers of socks and hosiery. Last month’s FIMAST (International Textile Machinery and Accessories Trade Show) held at Brixia Expo - Fiera di Brescia, proved that the Italian and European hosiery machine building industry is still a dynamic force to be reckoned with and that FIMAST in Brescia is a viable and desirable alternative to FAST which ceased to exist after it was last held in 2005.

Launching a new exhibition for the hosiery machinery sector in Brescia was the brain child of some of Italy’s leading machine builders including Busi Giovanni, Cesare Colosio and Cortese. Speaking at the opening of the event Fiera di Brescia’s Managing Director, Dr. Marco Citterio said that his organization had accepted the challenge launched by a group of entrepreneurs who lost the trade show that had represented them until 2005.

“We at Fiera di Brescia have always believed that trade shows offer many pluses. They make it possible for people to meet and exchange ideas, which is very difficult to do through any other media or channel,” said Citterio. “A show is still the best promotional instrument. Modern media have made everything faster, but they have not been able to replace contact and dialogue between people. At times of crisis, like today, networking and understanding the general feeling become even more important,” Citterio added.

Despite the short time available, FIMAST organisers say it actually obtained excellent results and attracted key Italian companies, industry leaders, and a number of international players. Around 60 exhibitors, of which 10 were non Italian, attended the show which was held in the 5000 square metre Hall 2.

“It already looks like FIMAST 2009 will be extremely successful for companies and members of the trade. From its humble beginning as a minor event, FIMAST is expected to become one of the most important trade shows for the textile industry. The first, start up edition is meant to be more of a meeting point between a group of selected companies and trade members than a traditional trade show. That is why we do not expect record numbers this time, but we know record numbers will come shortly” said Carlo Massoletti, President of BRIXIA EXPO - Fiera di Brescia.

Double Layer sock

Most of the shows highlights came from the leading Italian knitting machine builders and there were some very innovative products. Botticino (BS) based sock knitting machine builder Busi Giovanni launched its new patented ‘Idea Twin Layer’ cylinder and dial machine which was producing a football sock with integrally knitted pocket for housing shin guards at the show. The model on show was a 4 inch, 168 needles, 36 gauge machine fitted with the optional classic toe linking device.

“As it is based on the 404 Idea Terry machine, the 404 Twin Layer has all the same knitting possibilities as the original machine. In addition to this, using the dial needles and a special patented device which is integrated in the dial itself, the machine can produce double layer socks. It is possible to knit two fabrics at the same time on the Twin Layer, one inside the other. The external sock is produced in the conventional way on the cylinder needles while the internal sock is knitted by the dial needles,” said Busi machine designer Ing. Alessandro Corti.

“This gives the opportunity to use completely independent yarns with different fibre content for the inside and outside of the sock, which according to Busi opens up new perspectives in the field of technical sport socks. The double layer structure can be extended to the complete sock. In this case the two fabrics are joined at the welt, at the heel and at the toe which prevents the sliding of the inner layer in relation to the outer layer.” Ing. Corti added.

Busi’s Export Manager, Federica Ambrosi told Knitting Industry: “It is also possible to knit socks with the double layer in a selected part of the sock, for example only in the sole and/or in the heel. An interesting application is the possibility to create pouches inside the socks, like for example the shin-pad holding pouch attached inside a football sock as produced at the show.”

 Another possibility with the Idea Twin Layer is to create reinforced areas with the double layer having any desired shape which can be placed in any part of the leg and/or foot. On all of the available machine diameters it is possible to install the Rimaglio option that will produce a sock having the toe closed automatically with ‘loop by loop’ linking.

‘True rib’ on single cylinder

Busi says its new addition to the Idea range, the Idea Doppio, is the only single cylinder machine in the market with latch needles in the dial with the capability of producing true rib socks with more than one needle in the rib, e.g. 2x2 rib. Normally cylinder and dial hosiery machines make for example 3x1, 5x1, 7x1 rib, i.e. in the case of 5x1 this is produced using 5 cylinder needles and 1 dial needle. “The Idea Doppio makes rib socks just like a double cylinder machine,” says Ing. Corti.

Thanks to the company’s patented method, the machine allows the production of socks with 2x2, 4x2, 5x2, 6x2, 7x2 etc., ribs. One of the two 312 Idea Doppio models on show was actually producing a 9x2 rib sock, the second was knitting a 5x3 rib sock. According to Busi the only limitation in terms of the type of rib the machine can knit is the needle count.

Colosio 240 needle HT 25

New from  Rezzato (BS) based Cesare Colosio at FIMAST was a 240 needle version of the company’s HT 25 two feed  single cylinder machine for the production of men’s, women’s and children’s socks with 5 colour per course motif with optional automatic toe closing device. Technical features of the C15 Terry include an onboard memory for 10 different products, production of 3 different articles in sequence and transfer of a new item during the working cycle. No mechanical change is needed when changing from plain to terry and the machine makes ‘fast’ heel and toe without the need for a picker.

 Budget C15 Terry

Also on show also at the Colosio stand was the company’s low cost Far East ‘joint venture’ machine, the C15 Terry. According to company director Fabiana Colosio: “The C15 Terry is constructed 50% in Italy and 50% in the Far East.” Ms Colosio would not be drawn on the exact manufacturing location in the Far East but instead wanted to emphasise that at a price of 11,000 Euros per machine, it represented extremely good value for Colosio design, engineering and innovation. The C15 Terry is a single feed, single cylinder machine for the production of men’s, women’s and children’s terry socks with 5 colours per course motif. The machine is drumless and fully computerised and can produce approximately 30 dozen ankle socks in 24 hours, Colosio says.

 144 needle Colosio RISE TR

Another new addition for FIMAST was a 144 needle version of Colosio’s RISE TR fully electronic single cylinder machine for women’s and children’s socks and tights. The machine has pelerine transfer in two feeds and pelerine with 3 motif colours per course. Other knitting possibilities with the RISE TR are 12 colours sock, 3 ground colours with additional colours for heel and toe, plain fabric with 3 motif colours per course, filet stitch with 2 colours per course. Mock rib, 8 colour jacquard and patterned double welt with pelerine.

Colosio also demonstrated its well known Magica true Argyle machine, an electronic intarsia machine for the production of True Argyle, True Argyle with sandwich terry in the foot, jacquard in 4 feeds and motif.

'Breathing socks' with impact protection

Terry sock machine specialist Rumi showed its latest machine for technical socks, the Seven TS. The Seven TS, which the company says is unique to Rumi allows the manufacturer to put together pelerine or mesh pattern with terry or pile. The machine, which is covered by two separate patents, was officially launched at FIMAST but company owner and director Stefano Rumi said that the company had already started to sell the Seven TS to its customers.

“The concept here is to produce ‘breathing socks’ which have mesh pattern to let in air where required and terry in the impact areas for protection,” Mr Rumi said. “The Seven Ts is not restricted to sports socks and is suited to the production of performance socks for outdoor activities such as hiking and for medical applications where different properties are required in different zones of the sock. The next development will be automatic toe closing for the Seven TS.” Mr Rumi added.

The Seven TS is a single cylinder, single feed machine with 7 yarn fingers for the main feed and 12 yarn fingers for the pattern formation. The machine has an independent elastic yarn finger. It has individual needle selection and independent adjustment of ground, heel and transfer stitch through step motors. The 144 needle, 3 ¾ inch diameter, 36 gauge Seven TS on show was producing a blue and black sock with mesh and terry zones positioned strategically throughout the sock (see image right).

Easy Toe retrofit for single cylinder machines

Another FIMAST highlight was the official launch of NTA’s Easy Toe automatic toe closing attachment which the company says can easily be fitted to a very wide range of single cylinder sock knitting machines.

NTA srl, which was founded in 2005, may be a relative newcomer to the Italian hosiery machine building industry as a company, but it has a long Florentine pedigree in building hosiery machines. The company which has only recently begun marketing its products following an intensive R&D period from 2005 is led by industry stalwarts, Managing Director Giancarlo Meoni, Sales Manager Massimo Venni and Technical Manager Gianni Conti, formerly of the famous Florentine sock machine builder Conti.  

“Easy Toe is a cost reduction exercise which can be retrofitted to most Lonati and Sangiacomo single cylinder sock knitting machines which amounts to about 80% of the single cylinder machines working in the world today,” says Sales Manager, Massimo Venni.

The Easy Toe system on show at FIMAST was fitted to a Lonati Goal machine but Mr Venni said that versions of Easy Toe for both Matec and Sangiacomo machines would be production ready soon.

“The Easy Toe system uses sewing rather than linking as it is much faster. It is not only for sports socks as you see here at the exhibition and we fit it to machines ranging from 72 needles up to 168 needles. In future we will develop towards even finer gauges.” Mr Venni added.

In terms of production capacity, NTA says it has no fewer than seven companies it works with in the Florence area. According to Massimo Venni , all of these companies were either Matec or Conti suppliers, so they know the job very well. FIMAST was NTA’s first exhibition since its launch and the company, which says it is now supplying products in Italy and Turkey will now target USA, Brazil and other markets.

Rosso Fulltronic toe closing

Orbassano (TO) based sock linking machine specialist Rosso Industrie showed its latest Fulltronic automatic linking in-line system with pre-turner for socks pre-seaming, mock linking (Rosso 025) and Ultraturn 6000.

Giuseppe Rosso explained to Knitting Industry: “The Rosso 025 Fulltronic is an electronically programmed linear linking machine for the toe closing of men’s, women’s and children’s socks in all gauges, where all of the machine adjustments are made via the controller. The Ultraturn 6000 automatically turns linked socks of any gauge or size and does not require skilled operators. Changing from one gauge to another is carried out via the computer and requires no manual adjustment.”

“We have integrated the pre-turner with the Rosso 025 mock linker and Ultraturn 6000 to give producers the perfect solution for sock toe closing.”

FIMAST: satisfactory outcome

Although no figures have been released, organisers say that FIMAST was well attended, especially given the short time frame available for organising and marketing the event. Details and dates for the next FIMAST have not yet been released.

“We had to wait for the right set of conditions to organize a trade show which represented us and gave us the opportunity of a dialogue for a long time. FIMAST 2009 was conceived by a small group of businessmen sitting around a table with the common objective of re-creating the show we had lost four years before, when FAST was held for the last time in 2005,” said Gianmarco Busi, Managing Director of Busi Giovanni srl.

“Brescia is the ideal location to continue our growth both as an industrial district and individual companies. Brescia is the city where the industry was actually born. Fiera di Brescia was the strategic partner to start and finalize this project which finds its natural location in Brescia, home to the majority of hosiery and knitting machine manufacturers.” Mr Busi added.

“Through FIMAST we want to give a very positive signal to the market, an additional input to overcome the economic crisis and face the strong competition of the past few years with more serenity; in particular the competition from Far Eastern countries which cannibalize prices and reduce margins”.

Speaking just before the FIMAST exhibition opened, Ugo Ferraboli , Area Manager of Cesare Colosio SpA said: “Among all current trade shows there was none which could give members of the European textile industry the only possible opportunity of promoting themselves. Therefore, they risked disappearing obscured by trade show events organized by big textiles manufacturers.”

“This new show appointment is meant to become a meeting point for a small market niche which needs a trade show to gather information, meet and exchange ideas about the new trends. We expect members of the trade, media and institutions to be very interested in this first edition of FIMAST. The four show days are a great opportunity to make ourselves heard and fight the economic crisis. FIMAST has already everything it takes to become a major trade show. We trust institutions and trade associations will support us with our ambitious project in the future,” added Mr Ferraboli.

Angelo Cortese, Managing Director of Cortese SpA said: “I am extremely pleased with the excellent results obtained in such a short period of time. The approval and support from both exhibitors and trade confirm the validity of this project. The hosiery and knitting machine sector needed a dedicated event which could represent all active manufacturing forces.”

“In just a few months we have been able to combine strengths, ideas and know how to start a show like FIMAST which, from its very first edition, had to rely on strong foundation to assure continuity. We are already working on the next show which will be probably held in Hall 1 and will host not only exhibits but also conventions, formative workshops, round tables and show cases. Fiera di Brescia, its Managing Director, Marco Citterio, and staff have proved to be up for the situation and have created an appointment that already works as a reference point for the national and international textile industry”.