Leading circular knitting machine builder Mayer & Cie, has engineered its way to excellence in ultra fine gauge machines by stopping at nothing in pursuit of its goals. The German company has even developed its own machine tools for manufacturing cylinders and designed its own temperature control system to ensure trouble free operation in its ultra fine gauge machines which are available up to gauge E60.

According to leading circular knitting machine builder Mayer & Cie., fine gauge circular knitting can claim its very own success story. The company says that fabrics which are as fine as silk but provide the benefits of high elasticity can be produced with extreme economy using Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines, turning circular knitting into an interesting alternative for the manufacture of ultra-fine fabrics compared to other more costly production methods.

Mayer & Cie. also says that this capability also opens up whole new application fields for fine, elegant quality fabrics which have previously been a closed book to knit goods. Because optically, these fabrics offer the impression of being woven, their elasticity, particularly in combination with elastomer yarns, gives them extremely pleasant wearing properties.

Ideal fields of application include top-quality underwear, shirts, blouses and exclusive outerwear, according to Mayer & Cie. The company says that there are several easily explained reasons why circular knitted ultra-fine fabrics up to gauges as high as E60, particularly those produced on Mayer & Cie. machines, can be reliably produced to an exemplary standard of quality.

High precision calls for high quality of manufacture

In principle, machines producing this type of fine gauge fabric have to work to a high standard of precision, which calls for a high quality of manufacture with minimal tolerances and extreme stability. Working at a gauge of E60, means fitting 60 needles into the space of just one inch, or 25.4 mm. The needle thickness as well as the trick density in the cylinder is 0.21 mm, placing immense demands on the technology used to mill the channels in which the needles are guided. Using machine technologies generally available in the marketplace, this challenge could not be met with the degree of precision essential to ensure trouble-free operation.

Based on the extensive pool of experience and expertise gathered by the engineers at Mayer & Cie. over many years in the development of special machine tools for knitting cylinder manufacture, the company went ahead with the development of its own internally produced machine tools with the capability to produce this type of fine gauge component. This move has enabled Mayer & Cie. to guarantee the particularly high standard of machining quality needed to produce what is essentially the heart of any circular knitting machine.

The high level of manufacturing precision which has always characterized production at Mayer & Cie. is a major benefit when it comes to guaranteeing the reliability of other functional components; the materials used are unavoidably exposed to external influences such as temperature. Given the minimal tolerances involved, it goes without saying that these factors influence the entire functional characteristics of the stitch-forming area, and in particular needle wear. The result: poorer fabric quality and increased needle and material wear through to complete functional breakdown.

Mayer & Cie. became aware of these inherent problems years ago, also in the field of electronic needle selection, and decided to develop its own temperature control system. This was patented for MCT, is used for in a whole range of application areas and has proven invaluable in practice. The temperature control system has been adapted to work in fine and ultra-fine gauge machines, and is able to reduce temperature-induced machine problems to almost zero.

This Mayer-specific temperature control system can also be set on a timer-controlled basis to heat the machine up to operating temperature for the start of a shift, ensuring optimum operating conditions and full production output right from the start. While in operation, the machine is then kept constantly within the optimum temperature corridor of between 35° C and 42°C.

For the fine gauge ‘fine-touch’ fabrics produced by Mayer & Cie., the company offers two highly successful circular knitting machines which have traditionally proven successful as fine gauge range specialists over the years.

MV4-3.2 II single jersey

The MV4-3.2 II is the specialist in the single jersey range up to gauge E 60. Ultra-fine fabrics in the double jersey range up to gauge E 50 are produced on the IG 3.2 QC interlock machine which offers the benefit of Quick-Change technology for fast gauge conversion.

According to Mayer & Cie., the MV 4-3.2 II is among the most successful circular knitting machines on the market, with over 6,000 machines already in operation around the world. From gauges of E 44 and upward, the new CONI++ feeder and temperature control are just as much part of the standard package as additional sinker cam supports for an absolutely stable hold. A new sinker shape, double sinker guidance and a new sinker cam mean half the degree of wear and a more even fabric appearance every time, the company says. Diagonally adjustable stitch cams and central stitch formation adjustment guarantee reliable needle guidance, permit simple stitch length adjustment and ensure constant needle clearance. Feeders no longer need to be reset and press-off reliability is increased, particularly when working with lightweight fabrics.

IG 3.2 QC double jersey

The company claims that the IG 3.2 QC has been impressing knitted fabric producers for years with its high output and extreme operating simplicity and says it is flexible and offers a wide range of knitted constructions on an interlock basis. Synchronous and delayed timing can also be regulated using exchange cams to produce a wide spectrum from loose to extremely tight-knit fabrics.

The IG 3.2 QC is capable of producing fabrics from both cotton and synthetic yarns at high output rates, benefiting from a needle shape and positive needle guidance geared specifically to high-performance operation.

Its high productivity and flexibility in application, optimum fabric quality ensuring a sharper competitive edge and simple, high-speed gauge conversion using Quick-Change all add up to make this machine today’s interlock standard, Mayer & Cie. says. With 3.2 feeders per inch (96 feeders and up to 35 rpm with a 30 inch diameter), using high-grade yarns the IG 3.2 II produces high volumes of top quality fabrics such as ultra-fine bed linen.

The company says that in summary, when it comes to producing ultra-fine fabrics, these two Mayer & Cie. machines are not only trouble-free, but provide an exemplary standard of fabric quality, opening up whole new and challenging markets for circular knit goods manufacturers.