Leading circular knitting machine builder Pailung Machinery Mill Co. Ltd., exhibited at ITMA 2023, the world's premier textile and garment technology exhibition last month. The event took place from 8-14 June at Fiera Milano Rho, where the Taiwanese company showcased its latest advancements in circular knitting technology.

I had the pleasure of taking a guided tour of the company’s booth with Pailung’s President James C.C. Wang and head of marketing Bianca Yeh, where I had the opportunity to witness cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions designed to enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in the textile industry. Pailung's dedicated team of experts were also on hand to demonstrate and discuss the features and benefits of the Taipei headquartered company’s state-of-the-art machinery.

“Throughout the exhibition, Pailung's booth became a hub of inspiration and collaboration. Industry professionals and designers from around the world gathered, exchanging ideas and witnessing the transformative power of knitwear,” Bianca Yeh said at the close of the exhibition.

“Pailung's vision of pushing the boundaries of knitwear production left a lasting impact on the industry, inspiring countless manufacturers to embrace creativity and explore new possibilities,” she added.

The following summarises some of the key highlights of Pailung's ITMA 2023 exhibit.

Advanced knitting machinery fabric innovation

Pailung presented its latest generation of knitting machines such as Alterknit that incorporate advanced technologies for improved fabric quality, versatility, and high-speed knitting machines that increase capacity and reduce energy. These machines are designed to meet the diverse needs of various textile applications.

AlterKnit

Ideal for fashion and apparel – Pailung’s latest fabric technology, AlterKnit, enables textile designers and manufacturers to produce luxurious fabrics with intricate patterns, knitted into their structure, negating any need for post-production printing or dyeing.

AlterKnit is an upgraded version of inverse plating. It works by knitting alternate yarns into the fabric's structure. The process is performed on circular knitting machines, whereby yarns of different colour or composition can be knitted together within the same row.

The technology yields crisp patterns with sharp borders – a noticeable step up from standard inverse plating. Extremely versatile, it provides unlimited pattern possibilities for designers, capable of capturing gradient designs, argyle, and denim patterns etc. It can capture the intricate details of a sports team emblem, for example, including text and logos. AlterKnit fabric is also reversible, producing 2 inverted versions of the same design (with up to 4 colours) on either side.

Read more about Pailung’s AlterKnit fabric technology at AlterKnit stretchable patterned fabrics.

Sustainable solutions

Pailung recognizes the importance of sustainability in the textiles industry and showcased eco-friendly machinery and processes that minimise resource consumption, reduce waste, and lower energy consumption. These solutions reflect Pailung's commitment to promoting environmentally conscious manufacturing practices.

Amongst the company’s sustainable fabric technologies on show at ITMA was Pailung’s High Pile fabric for extra-durable winter wear. Pailung presented a solution, whereby the layers in the high pile fabric are knitted together, eliminating adhesives from the production process.

Recyclable and low cost — Pailung’s latest fabric technology uses knitting (not bonding) to produce High Pile fabric (without adhesive) for clothing, upholstery, and industrial uses.

The Cosy Collection includes high-density high pile, 2-sided high pile, and 3-layer high pile fabrics, which ideal for outdoor, winter wear, coats and gloves. The knitted high pile fabrics feature a high-density structure, and double-sided applications, with different colours and pile lengths. They are environmentally friendly, lightweight, warm, windproof, and they offer the wearer a full range of movement.

Ethical, vegan winter wear has until now relied all too heavily on adhesives. Ironically, garments that are labelled as ethical or vegan, may not actually be recyclable, and they could finish up in a landfill, incinerator, or the ‘Great Pacific garbage patch’, the company says.

Thanks to new advances in knitting machinery, Pailung has developed a plush alternative that’s both ethical and sustainable. It can be manufactured economically, without sacrificing the premium quality that world-class fashion and apparel brands expect.

Read more at Pailung’s High Pile fabric for extra-durable winter wear.

Smart textile machinery

Pailung also showcased its smart textile machinery solutions that leverage automation, connectivity, and data analytics to optimize production processes, increase operational efficiency, and enable predictive maintenance. These smart technologies contribute to improved production control and cost-effectiveness.

Fabric Defect Detection system

Pailung has been working hard to develop more advanced ways of detecting fabric defects. Its latest innovative Fabric Defect Detection system utilises cameras, fitted inside the knitting machinery, and equipped with computer vision to detect defects during production.

Real-time defect monitoring is game changer for textile manufacturers. When a defect gets detected, the knitting machine can be shutdown, immediately, pausing production until the problem has been solved, and reducing the manufacturer’s waste fabric losses.

Knitting Fabric Management System

The Knitting Fabric Management System (KFMS) stores an archive of knitting detail resources. Every fabric that a Pailung knitting machine produces can be saved in this database, enabling any technician to produce all of those fabrics without prior knowledge of how they’re made.

Whereas, in the past, one technician might have all the know-how for producing a certain fabric, now any technician can produce that fabric. This effectively transfers all fabric production know-how from the individual technician to the factory as a whole.

Detailed parameters can be saved for each fabric. Knitting parameters, including machine type, yarn type, specification, yarn length, and weight etc. And adjustment parameters, including knitting needle, tension, angle, and timing etc.

Pailung Online Monitoring System

The Pailung Online Monitoring System (POMS) allows the technician to control multiple knitting machines from a single computer. All workflows, from production to order scheduling and machine monitoring, can be performed remotely using this central system.

In the near future, textile manufacturers that have not adapted to industry 4.0 will be left behind

All fabrics that are saved in the KFMS, along with their corresponding parameters, can be accessed through the POMS. From there, the technician can select a fabric, schedule production, and monitor each knitting machine’s progress — all via the dashboard on their computer.

Read more about Pailung’s smart textile machinery solutions at Goodbye to fabric defects with AI fabric inspection from Pailung.

“Pailung is delighted to participate in ITMA 2023 and showcase our latest textile machinery solutions. Our innovations are driven by our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the textile industry. We look forward to engaging with industry professionals and demonstrating how our advanced technologies can bring value to their businesses," said Bianca Yeh.

Pailung Machinery Mill Co. Ltd

Pailung is a leading global provider of textile machinery and solutions with a rich history and a strong reputation in the textiles industry. The company specialises in designing and manufacturing advanced knitting machines and textile machinery for various applications.

Pailung aims to help brands, designers, and manufacturers develop innovative fabric technologies that boldly transform end results.

Along with its extensive research and development services, the addition of Pailung’s Open Innovation Lab puts into motion a dynamic new method of building knitting machines. Pailung believes that the solution to creating lasting innovation lies not only in its ability to build great knitting machines but in its willingness to engage and collaborate with ambitious clients.

Pailung’s knitting machines are custom-built for brands, designers, textile manufacturers, and contractors in the fashion, home, healthcare, and environmental textiles industries.

The company not only collaborates with its clients to build better knitting machines but builds and ships them faster than anyone else in the industry, allowing it to keep pace with its client's most challenging needs and aspirations.

“And so, Pailung's presence at ITMA became a symbol of innovation, forever changing the way the textile industry approached knitwear production. Pailung’s commitment to Knit Beyond Boundaries continues to shape the future, encouraging industry players to break free from traditional limitations and embrace the limitless potential of knitwear,” Bianca Yeh concluded.

www.pailung.com.tw