Santoni celebrated its 100th anniversary at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. © Knitting Industry.

Italian circular knitting machine manufacturer Santoni, famous for its seamless knitting technology, celebrated ‘100 years of technological revolution’ at ITMA 2019, which took place from 20-26 June in Barcelona.

The Brescia based company showcased its latest seamless circular knitting machines, together with sock knitting machines, large diameter fabric knitting machines and some new finishing technologies. Also, on show in Barcelona were its patented intarsia X and XT Machines, a new automatic finishing system for seamless boxers, and the innovative K Fabric Project, a new knitted textile process.

On Santoni’s double storey 1400 square metre booth, manufacturers of underwear, sportswear, beachwear, outerwear, medical textiles, denim, smart-textiles, socks and footwear explored all the newly patented machines, innovative production processes and a dedicated product Trend Area.

Seamless

In its Seamless range, Santoni showed a technological re-vamp of its renowned model SM8-TOP2V, with four models on display in a range of gauges. The Italian company’s SM8-TR1S and the SM8-TOP4J have also been updated and were exhibited equipped with new structural elements and electronics.

Boxer Process Station

In a special corner of the Santoni booth, an SM8-TOP2V seamless machine was paired with Santoni’s new automatic finishing machine for boxers – creating a unique Boxer Process Station. This cut and sew machine applies a gusset into each pair of boxers with a four-needle sewing head, completing the whole process automatically and offering the finished boxers ready for the final packing stage.

In a special corner of the Santoni booth, an SM8-TOP2V seamless machine was paired with Santoni’s new automatic finishing machine for boxers – creating a unique Boxer Process Station. © Knitting Industry.

Also, on show was the new TC Cut machine, a round-shape toe closer with an integrated slitting device to prepare stockings for manual assembly.

Intarsia shoe uppers

Santoni was keen to highlight its innovative and newly patented X Machine technology, which offers the possibility to knit a wide range of seamless shoe uppers using 3D intarsia technology for perfect fit and form. The machine knits one-piece uppers, complete with eyelets, ready for attachment to the shoe sole.

At ITMA 2019 Santoni showed its latest Argyle shoe upper machines. The XT Machine has true transfer stitch capability (no run holes) and can knit selected terry in the same course. © Knitting Industry.

Also, on show for the shoe upper market was the brand new single-cylinder XT Machine electronic intarsia knitting machine with the same intarsia features as the X Machine, whilst offering intarsia knit products with breathable mesh areas with cushioning and or transfer-stitch in sculptured terry.

New socks knitting machines

New additions to Santoni’s socks knitting range, included the single cylinder, single feed HT 50, which produces heavy socks in terry with four colours plus ground on the same course and the Star S  single cylinder, single feed machine with dial needles, which produces high-quality socks in true rib, five-colour patterns, with knitted or laid-in elastic and sculptured terry.

Large diameter circular knitting

Three large diameter machines, Zenith HS, Pulsar Double Face, and Zenit 2.4 JE mesh RP were also exhibited. Fine gauge is the strong point of these machines. The Pulsar Double Face in fine gauge was knitting a double face fabric, which allows the use of two different yarns, for true plating, keeping the fabric light in weight.

Mec-Mor

“The updated versatile Mec-Mor technology, with the type Cmp2/Open and type HP machines, are still the only machines on the market equipped with needle-shifting movement of the needle beds, (= racking) a bi-directional transfer on the same feed allowing variable widths of the knitted panel (= Variatex technology),” Santoni said at ITMA. “Mec-Mor is known throughout the world as the only alternative range of machines that look circular but perform like a V-bed machine.”

Mec-Mor in action at ITMA, bringing sharpness to high definition patterns, and the flexibility to place logos and different structures practically anywhere within the shoe upper. © Knitting Industry.

The technology, displayed in 20 gauge, enables the production of weft double-face knitted garments with high quality designs and what Santoni refers to as 'record production times'. It is also used to produce accessories, such as 3D backpacks, where various yarns can be knitted into ad-hoc positioned areas, in order to obtain a seamless structure that guarantees superior product performance.

The Mec-Mor can also be used to make sportswear, knitted men’s jackets and various other  products, many of which were be presented in the Trend Area. Also included were shoe uppers created on the Mec-Mor, bringing sharpness to high definition patterns, and the flexibility to place logos and different structures practically anywhere within the shoe upper.

Mec-Mor shoe upper. © Knitting Industry.

Celebrating 100 years

Santoni was founded in 1919 as the first Italian socks machine manufacturer and in 1988 it became part of the Lonati group, a world leader in the production of socks and pantyhose machines. Since then, the company has lent its name to the Seamless phenomenon, becoming a leader in the production of electronic machines for garments without seams.

www.santoni.com