Leading warp knitting machine builder Karl Mayer, an international ambassador for the warp knitting industry, recently saw its first graduates emerge from the Karl Mayer Academy China which the Obertshausen, Germany based company opened earlier this year to support the Chinese warp knitting industry.

The education and training centre in Wujin which belongs to Karl Mayer China Ltd, offers a comprehensive range of specialist warp-knitting courses in a block format, and is particularly committed to the requirements of those taking part. The most important aspects of configuring the contents of the courses are the wishes of customers, previous knowledge and the training aims of all participants, with a clear focus on practical training on machines.

The acid test for this concept was the start of the course programme on 26 September. The first course which lasted two weeks and had a theme of ‘the fundamentals of warp knitting’, hosted eight trainees. The students came from all sectors of industry including management, machine maintenance, and product development and buying. Trainees, who were eager to learn, mostly came from the Eastern Chinese provinces of Zheiyang and Xiangsu, but also from Indonesia and Australia.

Immediately after the welcoming ceremony and a short tour of Karl Mayer China Ltd, trainees were led to the seminar room and its adjacent showroom. Here training machines are positioned next to demonstration machines which are used for trials; a synthesis which Karl Mayer says guarantees great practical relevance and ensures a great deal of synergy. Trainees become acquainted with the high-tech warp-knitting production equipment, while those visiting Karl Mayer China Ltd can profit from the trainer's know-how.

The first basic course was run by Roland Baempfer and Ying Xu as a bilingual pairing. The experienced trainer from the Karl Mayer Academy at the Obertshausen headquarters instructed the trainees in English and, at the same time, showed his young Chinese colleague, who translated simultaneously, how to transmit knowledge successfully. The two further basic courses (WKB) envisaged for 2008 will be presented by textile engineer Ying Xu completely on her own. 

The purpose of these courses is to make the fundamentals of warp knitting comprehensible; from machine design, through textile fibres and the production of warp-knitted fabrics right up to finishing. During the first course the trainees did not cover too much theory on fabric construction and lapping movements but instead immediately converted the creations into reality directly on the training machines.

Trainees analysed the fabric constructions using the latest aids under specialist guidance and became familiar with the procedures involving pattern chains and pattern wheels. In addition the trainees gained an insight into warp-knitting machine design, into the fundamentals of proCad Warpknit for the development of constructions, and into KAMCOS  as the controlling core of Karl Mayer machines.

The compact schedule was completed by all the trainees without any problems and learning in a pleasant atmosphere with a great deal of room for experimentation, the latest equipment and experienced instructors not only made it easy for the trainees, but also made it fun for them.

Karl Mayer says that when General Manager Yang Zengxing presented the certificates on the final day, only satisfied expressions could be seen. In addition, feedback after the first week confirmed to the trainers that there had been a successful mixture of the theoretical and practical, that the instruction had been lively, and that valuable knowledge had been gained.

Most of those who passed the basic course have already booked for the advanced WKS course in 2009.