Stoll at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. © Knitting industry

At the ITMA 2019 international textile machinery exhibition, which took place in Barcelona last month, flat knitting machine manufacturer H. Stoll AG & Co. KG. (Stoll) launched its new knitelligence machine generation, some new developments in the field of knit and wear, its latest Materialization knitwear collection, some new technical textiles developments and a host of other innovations.

knitelligence generation

The leading German company said that its new knitelligence machine generation is tailored to the specific needs of the digital world, facilitatating work through process automation, more transparency, shorter response times, shorter production cycles, and higher productivity.

Further innovations and advantages of the new knitelligence machine generation include a new Multi-Touch Panel that is more user-friendly thanks to its improved readability and surface and faster response times. Easier usability and other helpful features are said to make the new Multi-Touch Panel a ‘true relief’.

At the show, the STOLL-knitrobotic technology was showcased in a new application. © Knitting industry

In addition, PPS-Extended Knit Report is a standard on every machine. The new remote access makes it easier to work in production, with the ability to directly access M1plus, PPS and other software packages, Stoll says. In addition to individual registration via RFID, a connection for a barcode scanner is now also attached to the machine.

STOLL-knitrobotic

In Barcelona Stoll introduced a new robotic production process which caught the eye of both brands, product developers and manufacturers. Based on its knitelligence and the new STOLL-knitrobotic device, the fully automated production process allows an object (in this case a plastic strip) to be selected from an onboard magazine and placed into the knitting zone of an ADF 530-32 ki W machine in gauge E 18/16, whilst the machine was running. Potential applications for the new robotic ‘pick and place’ device include the insertion of electronic components into smart textiles and garments.

Customised visitor pennant. © Knitting industry

At the show, the technology was showcased in a novel application processed without human intervention. Visitors could have their photograph taken in a photo studio type environment, have it converted to knitting data via Stoll’s knitelligence, and have it knitted as a pennant (banner) on the ADF machine automatically, where the plastic strip header was inserted during knitting by the STOLL-knitrobotic device to complete the customised visitor pennant.

Latest developments in knit and wear technology

Stoll also showed its current offer and its latest innovations and developments within the field of knit and wear, the company’s ‘complete garment’ knitting solution. In addition to all of the features that Stoll’s ADF technology offers, the new high-end ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear machine now also offers knit and wear.

Stoll’s knit and wear was knitting a range of men’s sweaters at the show. © Knitting industry

The ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear is said to offer even greater flexibility in colouring and patterning and improved productivity. “For the first time, ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear offers the entire spectrum of technology and functionality in the knit and wear range,” the company said.

Key features here, include reverse plating, Ikat Plating, selective plating and intarsia plating. In addition to weft insertion, which gives fabrics a woven like appearance, the ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear also offers intarsia technique within the knit and wear range – a new feature for a knit and wear machine.

ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear. © Stoll

The 84-inch wide needle bed makes it possible to knit both small and large garment sizes and the machine is available in gauges E 6.2 - E 9.2. “Users of this machine do not have to choose between only fully fashion patterns or knit and wear - this machine offers an extraordinarily large range of functions for both knitting processes,” Stoll says.

The ADF 830-24 ki W knit and wear produces sophisticated patterns in knit and wear and was knitting a range of men’s sweaters at the show.

Economical knit and wear model

Stoll also demonstrated the versatility and flexibility of its ‘entry level’ CMS 830 ki knit and wear machine by knitting a range of women’s sweaters in gauge E 9.2 and women’s fully fashion cardigans in gauge E 18.

CMS 830 ki knit and wear. © Knitting industry

“The CMS 830 ki knit and wear is a high-performance, basic machine with an excellent price- performance ratio. In addition to the enhancement of the intarsia capability, the CMS 830 ki knit and wear offers the gauge E 9.2. This machine is the economical entry-level machine for flexible use, both for conventional production and knit and wear divisions,” Stoll says.

Fashion & Technology

Under the guidance of its knitwear design guru Joerg Hartmann, Stoll also presented its latest innovations and developments in the field of Fashion & Technology and the new Stoll Trend Collection – Materialization was exhibited. “This collection exemplifies and impressively demonstrates the variety of materials that Stoll technology supports,” Joerg Hartmann said.

Materialization collection. © Knitting Industry

“In addition to commercially available yarns, Stoll also worked with yarns that are unusual for the knitting industry, representing a solution to a major challenge of flat knitting technology. These yarns include used plastic bags, silver foil, and jute bags that have been utilised to knit luxury products – the inspiration here being the concept of up-cycling.”

Knitted accessories from the Materialization collection. © Knitting Industry

Read more about Stoll’s latest collection at - Preview: Stoll’s New MATERIALIZATION Collection

Stoll’s design excellence was demonstrated in products that utilized digital design tools such as its Adobe Photoshop Extension, STOLL-artwork, and 3D body scan App developed by Fision ( www.fision-technologies.com).

ADF 530-32 ki W was knitting a new more efficient Devoré technique. © Knitting Industry

In addition to the many designs in the Fashion & Technology area, two machines were exhibited – an ADF 530-32 ki W, which was knitting a new more efficient Devoré technique (using one knitting system instead of two, as in earlier versions) in gauge E 18/16 and a CMS 502 ki, which was knitting accessories in gauge E 3.5.2.

Technical textiles

In technical textiles Stoll presented various demanding technical applications made on the CMS 530 ki W in the gauge E 7.2. Other technical applications presented at the exhibition included developments in the TT home, TT med, TT mobility, TT e-tex and TT sport categories. A wide range of technical textiles samples were on show including electro-textiles for sports and healthcare applications, automotive seat covers and components, shoe uppers, fibre reinforced composites for automotive and aerospace applications and many others.

Textile Computing

A highlight in the technical textiles section of the Stoll booth was an area dedicated to one of its customers – high-tech Canadian company Myant. Myant has created what it calls the world’s first Textile Computing platform called SKIIN.  “Building an innovative system that taps into the human body is easy if you harness the power of our SKIIN Textile Computing Platform,” Myant CEO Tony Chahine told Knitting Industry at the show.

CMS 530 ki W. © Stoll

By knitting proprietary biometric sensors and actuators into everyday clothing and fabrics, SKIIN opens the doors to innovative textile computing solutions that Tony Chahine says will transform healthcare, wellness and high-performance athletics. “Textile Computing will consumerise healthcare by making it easy and accessible,” Myant says.

SKIIN offers garments that measure blood pressure, sweat sensing for measuring hydration and workout effectiveness, EEG sensing, heart health monitoring for mother and baby as well as heating garments, rehabilitation and pain relief supports and pressure sensing mats for use in beds, chairs and carpets. Many of the company’s products are made using Stoll flat knitting machines and it has around 90 Stoll machines at its development manufacturing centre in Toronto. A range of Myant technologies was on show in Barcelona with the company’s scientific experts on hand to answer visitor questions.

www.stoll.com