Italian sock knitting machine builder Rumi raised a few eyebrows when it decided to host its own private exhibition in a Brescia last month instead of exhibiting at the well attended FIMAST (International Textile Machinery and Accessories Trade Show) which was held from 26-29 September.

When asked why he had chosen not to exhibit alongside the rest of the Italian machine builders, company owner and CEO Stefano Rumi said: “We wanted to do something private and something different to the others – something different to create something interesting for our customers.”

According to Rumi, the move paid off with all three and a half days of the show being busy. The exhibition was certainly busy enough when Knitting Industry interviewed Stefano Rumi on the Saturday morning, with visitors attending from Thailand, Pakistan and Japan as well as Italy – in fact one customer is said to have bought 50 machines that morning.

Commenting on the success of the private show, Mr Rumi said: “We have had visitors from Brazil, Europe, Thailand, India, China, Japan, Germany, Turkey and UK – from all over the world really.”

The Rumi exhibition, although compact was quite impressive and the company had three machines on show, as well as a well displayed range of its latest samples and its latest networked SK model design system.

The new Rumi machines shown were:

• Seven EVO – 3 ¾” diameter, 132 needles, 36 gauge
• Seven TS – 3 ¾” diameter, 132 needles, 36 gauge
• Seven EVO – 3 ¾” diameter, 108 needles, 24 gauge 

Seven EVO

The Seven EVO, an evolution of Rumi’s of Seven R, now has extensive terry patterning potential. Whereas the Seven R had to use a different cam to push the sinker for terry knitting, the Seven EVO now uses an actuator to make the selection and the user can now terry pattern anywhere ‘sinker by sinker’.

The Seven R had the facility to either produce an all terry sock or a half terry sock – the Seven EVO by contrast now offers the facility to knit terry patterns and/or put terry in the heel and toe. A good example of market exploitation here is the ‘dotted’ terry effect (see below) employed by some of the big sportswear brands especially in the USA.

In the case of this sports sock, the terry loops are quite high and can also be used to provide good cushioning effects in for example football socks where protection around the ankle is desirable (see above). Another feature is the ability to create a rib effect at the sock top by using the ‘large stitch’ facility which is normally used for terry.

The Seven EVO knits 6 colours per revolution and can employ two different coloured elastic yarns (used in different parts of the sock). Needle selection is not only ‘needle by needle’ but by ‘multi selection’ where the same needle can be selected more than once in the same knitted course. Two selections for terry are available.

Rumi says it will launch a new Seven EVO 4.5” machine for special markets such as USA by the end of the year. The machine will replace the well known Rumi Dream model. All of Rumi’s machines are made in Italy except Athon and Seven RM, which are manufactured in China.

Seven TS

The new version of Rumi’s Seven TS also has multi selection plus terry as well as stitch transfer for lace patterns or Rumi’s so called ‘breathing socks’ effect. Seven TS socks are mainly used in sports such as football and motorcycling. The machine has two actuators for terry and multi selection.

The main difference between the Seven EVO and the Seven TS models is that the TS has stitch transfer capability which is based on a Rumi patent dating back to 1972.

The Seven TS is a single cylinder, single feed machine - 5 Feeders groups connect to 7 yarn fingers for the main feed and 12 yarn fingers for the pattern formation. It also has an independent elastic yarn finger.

The Seven TS has 6 groups with needle by needle selection and independent adjustment of ground stitch, heel and transfer stitch through step motors. Electronic adjustment of the elastic feeders is standard and the machine can use 4 independent heel yarns.

The Seven TS’ electronic panel gives the possibility to store a full range of sock models and patterns as well as the possibility to save the sock in the event of a power cut and automatic zeroing can take place in any phase of the cycle.

With the Seven TS, socks can be produced from 96 to 132 needles in both 36 gauge and 24 gauge without changing the cylinder, by changing needles only. Two formats are available:

3 ¾” diameter, 96 - 112 - 120 – 132 needles, 24/36 gauge

3 ¾” diameter, 132 - 144 – 160 needles, 36 gauge

The Seven TS can make socks and tights in plain stitch, terry and transfer stitch in the same sock cycle with the possibility to have the I and Y formation of the toe and true heel. Horizontal stripes up to a maximum of 12 different colours from the ground can also be made.

Other possibilities include:

Socks in 4 colours + ground + floating yarn or tuck stitch per course without transfer

Socks in 2 colours + ground + floating yarn or tuck stitch per course with transfer

Transfer stitch with transfer from 1 to 3 needles

Summing up his company’s three and a half day private exhibition in Brescia, Stefano Rumi said:

“Our business is improving. It is pretty good in fact. I think this is because we concentrate on high-tech machines and invest in research and development in order to deliver new solutions to our customers, which are not already available in the market.”