From the Sector

The exhibition “Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection” at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which opened on 16 March, features a STOLL work that has been part of the museum’s permanent collection since 2017.

Visitors can expect more than 150 works that have been compiled from the museum’s collection and new acquisitions since 2017. The selection, which includes works by design pioneers of the recent past, also includes a highly functional balaclava from STOLL.

Blend of design and functionality.
The flat knitted balaclava from STOLL is part of an exhibition area that visualises the defining themes of our time. Alongside a hijab, it stands for considering inclusivity in design. The balaclava offers protection from extreme cold, is stylish and is the result of a combination of creativity and technology.

The balaclava integrates an NFC chip for near-field communication, a heater to warm breathable air, a positive and negative power connector and reflective strips for passive visibility, all knitted directly into the fabric. STOLL’s state-of-the-art flat knitting technology is the basis for straightforward integration. Circuits and conductive yarns can also be incorporated in a fully automated process exactly where they are needed.

Other performance features do not require additional components. A knitted-to-shape 3D design – made possible by the goring technique – offers a perfect fit by following anatomy and eliminating the need for complex tailoring.

Flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Brazilian representative BRASTEMA TECNOLOGIA TEXTIL LTDA., will participate in the FIMEC 2023 46th International Fair of Leather, Chemicals, Components, Machinery and Equipment for Footwear and Tanneries in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil next month.

Working off the recent trend in knitted shoe uppers in the athletic footwear market, SHIMA SEIKI proposes knitted fabrics to the general footwear market as an alternative to leather. To that end SHIMA SEIKI will be showcasing the latest applications of computerized flat knitting technology to demonstrate its contributions in this field.

As pioneer of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology whereby the knitted product can be produced in one entire piece on the machine without linking or sewing, the company is showing the MACH2XS WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine for the first time at FIMEC. MACH2XS features 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI's original SlideNeedle™, capable of producing high-quality fine gauge WHOLEGARMENT® products in all needles. Proposals include WHOLEGARMENT® sportswear as well as seam-free shoe uppers. For conventional shaped knitting of shoe uppers, the SVR123SP machine features a loop presser bed that permits inlay technique for producing hybrid fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics, suited to shoe upper applications that require form-fitting function, comfort, flexibility, breathability as well as strength and stiffness. SVR123SP furthermore features i-Plating inverse-plating capability for increased patterning capability, including the production of jacquard-like patterns in light-weight plain jersey stitch. Also on show will be the compact SVR093 machine with a short knitting width intended for knitting shoe uppers. Both SVR machines feature such SHIMA SEIKI innovations as DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System, spring-type moveable sinker system, stitch presser, yarn gripper and cutter, and takedown comb. Made-in-Japan quality, reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and cost-performance all combine to satisfy the high expectations of the world's shoe industry.

SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design and simulation suited to shoe production. Of particular interest is its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes Virtual Sampling. When countless variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time and cost normally associated with producing actual samples for each variation. The sustainability factor is also undeniable.