The warp knitting sector was waiting with great anticipation to see what market leader Karl Mayer had to offer at ITMA Asia + CITME and their expectations were exceeded, says the German company. With its latest innovations and new developments, the Obertshausen based company says it stood out from its many Chinese competitors and its stand quickly became a magnet for visitors. The company says it was surprised at the number of visitors which came from all over the world.

 “We welcomed a large number of visitors to our stand, not only from China but also from all over Asia, South America and Europe,” said Oliver Mathews, Sales Director, when summing up the outcome of the exhibition. According to Mathews, the worldwide economic recovery in the textile and clothing industry could be detected quite clearly during the course of the exhibition and that this was obvious from the positive investment climate.

Demand is said to be currently very good for all of Karl Mayer’s product groups, from its lace machines to its high-speed tricot machines. The company made its first sales just after the doors opened in Shanghai and the trend continued throughout the entire exhibition. In addition to making specific deals, Karl Mayer says it was once again able to enhance its image as a driving force for innovation within the sector.

According to Karl Mayer, highly qualified visitors had many discussions on the concept of the new DJ machine, which the company says it has used to open up many new possibilities in the seamless goods sector. In particular they were said to be interested in the trend towards higher-gauge lace raschel machines. Karl Mayer has updated its warp knitting machines to incorporate components made from CFRP materials, which it says is already regarded as the technical standard amongst warp knitting companies. This is a good example of how Karl Mayer, with its pioneering activities, is constantly improving the design of its warp knitting machines for the benefit of its customers.

Karl Mayer also sets the standard in warp preparation and visitors to the exhibition are said to have acknowledged its commitment to innovative technology in weaving and warp knitting preparation with great interest, whilst placing numerous orders.

 “We were delighted to make many deals in every sector of the textile industry,” said Friedriech Maletschek, head of Karl Mayer’s warp preparation business unit. A big contract to supply ball warpers, long chain beamers and sizing machines to the denim sector was especially encouraging, the company said. The company says that particularly noticeable was a clear upturn in the business in machines for processing glass fibres for the production of printed circuit boards. There has been a marked decline in this sector over the last three years but a contract for the sale of the relevant sizing, direct beaming and assembling machines was signed during the ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition. In addition, further projects in this area have already been announced.

Karl Mayer also showed its latest innovations for producing technical and semi-technical textiles by presenting its RD 6/1-12 at an in-house show at its Chinese subsidiary in Wujin, which was held at the same time as the main exhibition. Karl Mayer says the high-speed RD 6/1-12 has been selling exceptionally well since it was launched in January of this year. Many more customers were said to be impressed during the course of its first official launch. As a showcase for innovative double-bar raschel technology, an HD 6/20-35 machine was also being shown alongside the RD 6/1-12 in Wujin. This was a basic HighDistance machine for thick spacer fabrics which Karl Mayer says triggered many new ideas and thoughts on new end-uses.

The machines on show in Wujin were complemented by the new Weftronic RS, a warp-knitting machine with parallel weft insertion which is said to have attracted a large number of visitors, especially from China and Korea. Visitors were said to be impressed by its reliable operation and the first machine was sold on Karl Mayer’s stand at ITMA ASIA+CITME following viewing.